


Danganronpa: City Life of Despair

by Fujisaki-kun (ThatOneNerdyGuy)



Series: Restoring Our Hope [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Fangan Ronpa, Gen, Hope vs. Despair, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, POV Original Character, Stolen Memories, Super Dangan Ronpa 2 Spoilers, Western Name Order
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-12 06:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 56,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4469594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneNerdyGuy/pseuds/Fujisaki-kun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kazuma Minami was in a daze. He knew people loved reading the horror novels he wrote, but he never imagined that he'd join the ranks of the Super High School Level students. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity! His chance to have guaranteed success...<br/>in...<br/>...life...<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>Huh, that's funny... He was just outside Hope's Peak Academy. When did he get to this city?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue -- Welcome to Despair City I

**Author's Note:**

> It took me a while, but I eventually decided that I'd also bring this here to AO3. Hope any new readers here on AO3 enjoy it!

Kazuma Minami sighed as he stared down at his laptop screen. It was getting quite late, and he knew that he should be sleeping but he was still awake anyway. He was still reeling from the letter he received from Hope's Peak Academy, a very popular school that only accepted the best of the best. The students who were the best in their field. What was Kazuma really good at? Well, Kazuma was a particularly good horror writer. It was one of his favorite things to do in his spare time, ranging from a story of a mass murderer to one of demonic creatures. To him those were rather 'meh' plots and dreadfully overdone. However, sometimes it was what the fans wanted and he wanted to keep them happy. So he wrote about mass murderers and demonic creatures, but he did it in a way that no one else would have thought to do it. That's what made him the best. His amazing ability to craft horror fiction, no matter how overdone the basic plot was.

The screen in front of him bore the front page of the Hope's Peak website, showing stunning photos of the school that appeared to be taken by another student. He couldn't remember her name but Kazuma believed it started with an M. He knew what to expect on his first day now, a rather large and glamorous school building several stories high. Five or six maybe? He wondered where his classes would be and who his classmates were. Well, he'd find out tomorrow. Tomorrow was his first day, after all! Glancing at the time, he realized that it wasn't tomorrow when he'd first start. It was today. Shutting the laptop, he made his way to bed so he wouldn't be too exhausted.

As he lay in bed, he took one last glance at his acceptance letter which he'd been admiring since it arrived. Of course he would, since it was one of the biggest events of his life. He was pretty much guaranteed success now, not that he wasn't already successful.

_Dear Mr. Kazuma Minami,_

_You've been accepted to attend classes this year at Hope's Peak Academy as the Super High School Level Horror Novelist! You will be expected to go through orientation with your classmates on April 6th at 8 a.m. You will get to know them as well as receive schedules and dorms on this date. The rest of the week will help get you transitioned to life here before the next Monday when your classes begin. We hope to see you on the 6th!_

_From the Hope's Peak Administration Staff_

* * *

 

__

Kazuma stared up at the academy, drinking in the sights. Oh, he was definitely going to use a similar setting in his next novel. It was finally time to start his new life at Hope's Peak. Millions of thoughts were racing through his head. What would it be like? Who are my classmates? Are they friendly or just downright hateful? He was going to find out soon enough.

His thoughts were already going back to how he'd gotten himself here in the first place. As a little kid, Kazuma would find himself intrigued by anything scary. Next of course came his love for books, he would read endlessly as a child. Eventually, he put his two favorite things together and obtained his hobby from that. He began to think up scary plots and would write, it'd be rare to see him stop writing unless it was absolutely necessary. Everyone found it neat, until they actually read something he had written and found it surprisingly great. They admired his talent, and he enjoyed having it. He started having them published after that, and eventually they became best-sellers. That landed him a spot at Hope's Peak.

Eager to start, Kazuma turned his attention to the front doors and threw them open. The moment he did, a splitting headache washed over him. The pain was great and he would've cried out if his vocal chords would let him. His vision went black and he drifted off into unconsciousness.

"...ter?....Mi..er?" He could hear a faint voice in the back of his head. It slowly grew louder and louder until it began to wake him up. As he shifted slightly, he felt another presence looming over him which was the last push he needed. The voice came again, very clear this time. "Mister?"

Kazuma opened his eyes to find another set staring back, this person's a bright blue compared to his own eye color, hazel. His first reflex was to jolt back but he didn't. This girl's appearance didn't appear to be very threatening, instead it just seemed a little odd. She was in a maid outfit, complete with the headpiece, black knee-highs and black shoes. Upon her arms were white gloves, coming to a stop at her elbows. Also stopping at her elbows was her long black hair. Around her neck hung a star pendant.

"You're awake! Thank goodness, I was rather worried for a minute!"

"Yeah...where are we?" He glanced around at his surroundings, and it did not seem to be Hope's Peak at all. They were in a city, except it seemed they were the only ones there. It was the most unusual thing he'd seen in a while, and he'd seen some weird stuff.

"I'm afraid I do not know myself, and that is quite troubling. I'm supposed to be at Hope's Peak Academy right now.." The girl responds.

"You're a freshman to Hope's Peak as well?" Kazuma immediately questions.

"Yes, I am. I'm Kimiko Harumashi, Super High School Level Maid!" She introduced herself with a smile. A sudden chime sounded from his pocket, and he pulled out a thin device resembling a smartphone. Pressing the power button, the screen lit up saying 'e-Handbook'. After then displaying his name, he found himself in a menu screen. It had several sections, map, regulations, report card, and...truth bullets? What the hell were those? After attempting to tap on it, he found it was inaccessible at the moment. He sighed and decided to check the report card, as it had an exclamation point next to it.

The section popped up with sixteen portraits. Fourteen were greyed out but two were not. One displayed a portrait of himself. Curious, he tapped it and info regarding himself popped up. His name, age, height, weight, SHSL title, likes and lastly dislikes. He scrolled through to the other profile which was Kimiko's. Kazuma glanced up at the girl in question and realized she had been patiently waiting for him to introduce himself while he'd been inspecting his e-Handbook. Quickly, he stashed it back in his pocket with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry about that, I'm Kazuma Minami, the Super High School Level Horror Novelist." Her soft chuckle let him know all was forgiven. "Would you happen to know if there are others around?"

Kimiko stood up and looked around, nodding as she did so. She shifted her gaze over in the distance. "I saw a few others down that way at the grocery store...FoodPlus, I think the name is."

Kazuma stood up, and began making his way towards the store. He felt a light tap on his shoulder before he could get far. Kimiko apparently still had something to say. "Sorry for stopping you, Mr. Minami, but I'd like to tag along if you don't mind."

"Ah, you don't have to use formalities. Kazuma is fine." He smiled once more just for emphasis. "Now, let's get going, we have some classmates to meet!"

After a bit of walking, they had reached the FoodPlus. Another disconcerting thing Kazuma noted was the empty parking lot. For such a large city, it was eerily deserted. Kimiko, on the other hand, was not shaken at all. She seemed rather eager to meet her fellow classmates. Her very presence gave off a strong sense of happiness, which eased his mind a little. The sliding doors opened, and the two entered the building.

They had found the food jackpot. Food, drinks, snacks and all sorts of consumables were lining the many aisles. Kazuma refused to let his love of food get to him right now, he was more focused on meeting the students he saw standing around. Off to the side, he saw a short girl. Kazuma himself was 5'6", a good four inches taller than Kimiko and nearly an entire foot taller than this other girl. Another of her features he noticed was her dark brown hair, and that bright pink streak in it. When she glanced over at the two, the lighting revealed her green eyes. Over her small frame, she wore a simple white t-shirt and a dark blue skirt with dark grey tennis shoes. She waved at them and approached with a big smile on her face.

"Hi there! I'm Ami Hitomi! I assume you're both from Hope's Peak as well?" Kazuma definitely noted how loud she was.

"Ah..yes, we are. I'm Kazuma Minami. My talent is Super High School Level Horror Novelist." He smiled down at her, an expression that she returned.

"So you guys are my classmates! I'm the Super High School Level Linguist!" Ami's gaze turned to Kimiko. "What's your name? I can already guess your talent!"

"My name is Kimiko Harumashi, it's very nice to make your acquaintance."

Another chime came from his pocket, to which Kazuma decided to ignore the conversation for a moment to read through Ami's profile. Suddenly, a finger was jabbed to his chest as Ami began voicing her frustration at him.

"Hey! We just met, so I expect you to pay attention to our conversation! How else am I supposed to get to know you?" Ami bore a large frown on her face. "What, do you not find me cute enough? The nerve of you!"

Kazuma blanched a pale white at the sudden hostility and accusation. He stumbled over his words as he went to respond. "U-um, I'm sorry. I never said you weren't cute and all I was doing was reading through your profile so I could see the info it gave me.."

This seemed to calm her down and she instantly snapped back into her happy mood, leaving him with a feeling of whiplash from the sudden changes as Kimiko just stared in wide-eyed shock. Neither of them had been expecting her to blow up out of the blue. They'd have to be careful with her short fuse in the future. It took quite a bit of time but they eventually managed to get her to go off in search of others.

Down an aisle, they ran into a boy. He was a little taller than Kazuma with blue eyes and long, light blonde hair reaching all the way down his back. He wore a light blue-button, a pair of khakis and white shoes. He seemed to give off a rather shy and timid vibe, further proved by his jumping in fear upon hearing them approach.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm just easily frightened..."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, we were just looking to meet our fellow classmates."

"O-oh, I'm Tenri Nonaka and I'm the Super High School Level Harpist. Who are you two?" Kazuma made it a point to ignore the chime this time around, he'd learned his lesson.

"I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist." He winced a little as Tenri's eyes widened upon learning his talent. This was definitely not the kind of person who'd be able to enjoy the stories he wrote. Kimiko decided to cut the awkwardness by introducing herself.

"I am Kimiko Harumashi, and I got in as the Super High School Level Maid! Happy to meet you, mister!" She greeted cheerfully.

He stares at items next to Kimiko, avoiding meeting her gaze. She notices and frowns a little, to which Tenri tenses up and begins to profusely apologize again. "A-ah! I'm so sorry! I hope I haven't m-made you upset! I'm horrible, I c-can't even greet a friend right..."

"Eh? No! No, don't be sorry, you haven't upset me! Please don't worry, you're a very nice person!" Kimiko consoled him as Kazuma just watched in amazement. It seemed that everyone he'd met so far was odd in their own particular way. Well, if they were all students of hope, he guessed he couldn't really complain. After a few more minutes of consoling Tenri, the duo headed outside to find more classmates to meet.

Just outside, plenty of different vendors had been set up selling a variety of products. No one was managing a single one though, so it appeared that they wouldn't be making a very good business. Kimiko pointed out two more students checking out the setups. She led him towards the closer person first, who was checking out a station devoted to MP3 players.

The person was male, with short and scraggly hair that was a fine silver color. It was messy as hell, and he sure hoped that there wasn't a Super High School Level Hairstylist among them or they'd have a heart attack. His eyes were cerulean-colored, Kazuma having to look upwards to even see that. This guy had quite the height to him. Over his black tank-top was a baggy jacket, grey-blue in color. His brown pants were rather dusty and his ebony boots were visibly old. A shiny guitar was strapped to his back, a rather beautiful brown in color.

Kimiko had a fiery look in her eyes as her eyes fell upon his pants. Kazuma could feel the maid's pure desire to clean rolling off of her in large waves, and the guy apparently noticed as well as he was prepared to run for it. With some difficulty, he was able to hold her back with the promise of being able to do so later. This boy seemed to be a little wary of her now, keeping a good three feet of distance at all times.

"I'm sorry about that, she's the SHSL Maid and your pants are dirty. You oughta be fine as long as she can clean them soon. I'm Kazuma Minami, SHSL Horror Novelist."

"I'm..." The boy stared awkwardly for a moment, then creased his eyebrows. "Actually, I can't remember..."

Kazuma gave him a stunned look. "You can't remember who you are?"

"N-no. All I can recall is my age... I must need sleep or something. Until I remember who I am and what my talent is, I guess you can call me 17." Despite his apparent amnesia, 17 still smiled at his new friends, though he glanced once more at the girl giving his pants an intense stare. "I don't believe I caught your name."

"Hm? Oh! I'm Kimiko Harumashi. Kazuma already told you my talent."

"Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you both. I'm going to go look for a place to sleep, hopefully a nap will jog my memory."

With another chime, he checked his e-Handbook. Surely it'd list his information, right? However, this turned out not to be the case. Most all of the spaces simply had three question marks. The only things filled in were the name and age, and both said 17. He sighed, now knowing that no one would really know much about him until he remembered himself.

Kimiko had a look that said she wished to give chase to tidy up his clothes, but Kazuma reminded her that there were others to meet. The two approached the other person remaining in the vendor stalls. She appeared to be about the same height as him, and was caught up in the handheld camera section. Her rose blonde hair was down to her elbows, fitting nicely with her pale skin and pale green eyes. She wore a black cardigan over a white buttoned shirt, a black circle skirt that reached down to her knees, as well as black converse with white knee high socks. Kazuma's eyes widened when he realized he'd seen her before. This was the most popular, most subscribed person on YouTube. He recognized her from playthroughs of horror games she'd done.

Kazuma approached her giddily, a bright smile on his face. "You're Rei Kaya! I can't believe you're one of my classmates!"

Rei looked up from the cameras, and was immediately smiling as well. She seemed to be happy to meet one of her fans. "Yup, that's me! Gamer Rei, #1 on YouTube! Who knew that Super High School Level YouTuber was a talent? Anyway, who're you two? I adore meeting fans, especially if they're my classmates!"

"I'm Kazuma Minami, and my talent is writing horror novels. Actually, that's kind of the reason I found you, the horror genre." Kazuma was full on fanboy right now, and it was Kimiko's turn to hold him back. He didn't even hear his handbook chime.

"Well, it's good to meet a fan, Kazuma! I'm sure we'll be great friends!" Her gaze shifted to Kimiko. "I see that you're the Super High School Level Maid, what's your name?"

"Kimiko Harumashi, pleased to make your acquaintance, miss."

After chatting for a bit, they decided to part ways to introduce themselves to other classmates. Kazuma felt that he'd met quite the interesting bunch already and he'd only met five of fifteen. He hadn't a clue what sort of students the other locations would have, but with a deep breath, he was ready to meet them.

 

 


	2. Prologue -- Welcome to Despair City II

There seemed to be endless vendor stalls. Kazuma and Kimiko had walked south, but what they found was more vendor stalls. He'd about reached his limit with these little shops, at least show him a new location! Well, he eventually got his wish in the form of Serenity Park. It seemed to be a calm and peaceful area, with lush green trees, their branches gently swaying in the wind. There were benches here and there for people to rest and relax on, which got him thinking about 17. He hoped that he'd been able to find a resting spot. Off in the distance, he could see a few people.

They started towards a girl with short raven hair, but her bangs were long and ended in a curl. She appeared to be a bit taller than Kazuma with violet colored eyes and a really unsettling smile. Atop that raven hair was a red bow, picturing a skull in the middle. She also had a black jacket adorned with red buttons, a short and ruffled red skirt, and long black stockings featuring a skull pattern as well as white-heeled boots. He wasn't too hopeful for normality with this one, but he did have to commend her for looking like a character from one of his novels.

They approached her quickly and began the introductions. "Excuse me? I'm Kazuma Minami, the SHSL Horror Novelist. Who might you be?"

"Emiko Ichigawa, and I'm a medium." After she finished talking, his e-Handbook chimed once more.

"Ah, I see why you appear to be a character from one of my novels now." It took him a moment to realize he'd said that out loud. "N-Not that I mean you look weird! I just-oh my god, I'm just digging a deeper hole, I'm going to stop talking now."

Kimiko's features bore an amused grin, and much the same could be said for Emiko, though her smile was still rather creepy. Her gaze shifted away from Kazuma and was now directed at the maid. "What is your name? The spirits have told me your talent, would I be correct in assuming maid?"

"Yes, miss.. I'm Kimiko Harumashi." The stunned look on her face made it obvious that she was feeling skeptical towards Emiko's abilities, for it was blatantly obvious what her talent was. "Pleased to meet you."

"No, no, no! The pleasure's all mine, I do enjoy meeting new friends." Kazuma didn't think he could take looking at that smile any longer and said his goodbye, pulling Kimiko off further into the park to greet the other two he'd seen.

The first was a thin, pale boy with light hair down to his eyes. Whereas everyone else they'd met had a notable outfit that made them stand out, this one just wore plain everyday clothes. Nothing was really special about his appearance except for his hair covering his eyes and the white cane he carried with him. Kazuma had a feeling he knew what it was for. All of a sudden, the boy turned towards them.

"Is someone there?"

"Indeed. We're some classmates of yours, I'm Kazuma Minami, the Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"And I'm Kimiko Harumashi, Super High School Level Maid. What's your name?"

"Mamoru Arakawa, Super High School Level Mathematician. I must say it is quite nice to be greeted instead of questioned about my being blind."

"I would never, Mr. Arakawa! I respect the privacy of others." She responded.

"For that I must commend you, some of our classmates are not as respectful. However, I will not persecute them for it, we must get along if we wish to be classmates."

Kazuma watched as Mamoru and Kimiko continued to converse, barely listening to the conversation being held. Eventually, he turned his attention back to them in time to hear Mamoru's request. "If either of you wouldn't mind, could you direct me towards the apartment complex? I heard someone mention there were rooms for us there and I'd like to visit my own. Normally, I'd go myself but this place is rather large."

"I'd be delighted to do so, Mr. Arakawa!" Of course, Kimiko would jump at the chance. Her instincts as a maid were kicking in. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Minami."

"Ah, really, you don't have to be formal with me. I'll catch up with you both later, I've still got a few places I want to check out." Kazuma responded. With a polite goodbye, Mamoru was escorted off by Kimiko. Walking down another pathway he'd seen another student go down, he eventually found the other. It was a girl roughly the same height as him. He glanced backwards the way he came just how far the others had gotten. Turning back, he jumped when the girl was suddenly standing in front of him. She had reddish-brown hair, just long enough to be worn in a ponytail. On her head was a baseball cap black in color. Her eyes were the color of wet ash, and there was a beauty mark under the right eye. She wore a dark green tank top under a black shirt that showed her midriff, with sleeves that ended just a few inches before her wrists. She had a denim skirt on, as well as black Capri tights and white ankle socks that had blue and green stripes on the sides. Her shoes were green high tops.

"Hi there. I'm Sumiko Akiyama, Super High School Level Thief." Kazuma's e-Handbook chimed once more, but he heard the chime come from her instead of his pocket. She grinned as she handed it back. "An' who're you?"

"Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Well, Kazuma, ya might oughta pay more attention if I can get the drop on ya." He noted that her voice had that hint of the streets to it, which made a lot of sense when compared with her talent.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She headed off past him, and he reached for his handbook to check how many students he had left to meet. He turned back to yell at her. "Hey! Give me my e-Handbook!"

With a laugh, it was tossed to him. He was definitely going to remember to pay more attention considering he'd just been robbed twice in the span of two minutes. Under the map section, he found he had two more places to check out. He'd already been to the gazebo in the center of this place, that was where he'd woken up. He'd been to the FoodPlus, the vendor stalls on the north and south side, and now he could cross off Serenity Park. There were only two other locations, the Divine Diner and the Yokai Apartment Complex.

Yokai? The park and diner have such peaceful names, but yokai were not peaceful at all. He knew that they were supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore due to his talent for writing horror novels. He'd written a few successful novels centered around the beings. That was the deciding factor, he'd definitely go to the diner first before meeting back up with Mamoru and Kimiko. Using the map, he navigated his way over to the diner in which two students had cooked themselves a lunch in the absence of the staff. The one closest to the door had already started theirs, while the other was still cooking.

Kazuma decided to introduce himself to the eating boy. He had a young appearance, with short dark brown hair with bangs stopping just above his eyes. On his face were rectangular glasses that seemed somewhat big but not oversized. His eyes were a pale green in color. He wore an oversized black hoodie that had a zodiac symbol on it, grey shorts that stopped an inch or so above his knees, and white/sky blue/cyan sneakers that seemed to be the only perfect fit for him. He approached, leaning against the bench across from the boy.

"Hey, I'm a classmate of yours. Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist. Who are you?"

The boy looked up, and looked like he was too shy to respond. He eventually managed to get out a response, but with a stutter. "K-Kaede Nob-boru. I-I'm the Super H-High School Level A-Astronomer.."

A chime came from the e-Handbook and Kaede appeared to be grateful when Kazuma directed his attention towards it. His profile seemed to be normal, but one thing in particular stood out to him. His age. Kaede Noboru was 14 years old. He was taken aback at first, and would've questioned him but decided against it considering how shy the boy was. Kazuma figured it'd be better to just let him eat in peace and go meet the other boy.

The one cooking appeared to have a regal face, one that a lot of girls would admire. His cheekbones were high, eyebrows thick and elegant and his lips full and red. His jawline was narrow and his eyes had a teardrop shape to them, a haunting blue in color with gold rimming the irises. His build was thin but also athletic at the same time, his thin but toned legs being an example. His short brown hair was wavy and parted to the left. His skin was a tan Caucasian and he was nearly half a foot taller than Kazuma.

"Hey there, I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"I'm Israfel Harker, and I'm known as the Super High School Level Angel." He responded, not even looking up from the food he was preparing.

Kazuma blinked. "Angel?"

Israfel chuckled. "It's not what you're thinking. I got my talent from being compassionate and helping others when they need me."

Kazuma nodded in understanding, before realizing that there was more than one dish prepared and Israfel was still cooking. He was more than a little curious as to what he was doing now.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Well, since it's lunch time, I decided to prepare everyone something."

This guy definitely was thoughtful, Kazuma could see why he'd earned the title of Angel. He probably prepared what Kaede was eating at the moment. He could definitely see him as becoming a friend, and would have to remember to hang out with him again later. But for now, Kazuma still had five more students to meet and the map on his e-Handbook told him they were at the apartment complex along with 17, Kimiko and Mamoru. Seeing no other choice, he exited the diner and began making his way to the last unexplored location, the Yokai Apartment Complex.

 


	3. Prologue -- Welcome to Despair City III

What he'd seen of the city wasn't that bad so far. It was open, looked like your average city. The weather was warm and it was sunny. The streets weren't dirty, the buildings mostly looked new. One of the two things about this place that unsettled Kazuma was that there were only sixteen people present, including himself. He also discovered something else on his way to check out the Yokai Apartment Complex. The city was closed off. There was a high wall enclosing the place, standing maybe a few miles above the ground. He hadn't really noticed it at first because he'd been busy meeting everyone else, but he was more than a little afraid right now.

He'd nearly reached the apartment building when he added a third item to the list. A second section of the city was blocked off with a gate. Why wasn't it open? How do you even open it? How the hell did they even end up in a walled-off city anyway? None of this was making sense to him. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head for now, deciding that he should get the whole group together after meeting everyone and they could assess their situation.

Staring up at the building looming over him, Kazuma was at least relieved that they wouldn't be living in a dump. The Yokai Apartment Complex, despite it's ominous name, actually looked quite elegant. It stood four stories high and had a design to it that looked like it was a place for wealthy people to live in. He grabbed pulled open the front door and walked into the magnificent looking lobby. There was a polished wood receptionist desk to his left, large orange colored lights decorating the walls and bathing the lobby with a warm brightness. Similar looking polished wood tables were spread out along the walls, each holding a flowerpot containing a different exotic-looking flower. He looked up to see that he could see the upper floors as well as noticing a girl hanging from a railing just a little too late. She let go as the people cheering her on noticed him and began a protest.

"Wait, Misaki-!"

She dropped down fast towards Kazuma who had no time to react as the people on the upper floor shouted pointless warnings, and suddenly he found himself on the floor being weighed down by the crazy girl. With a groan, she disentangled herself from him and stood up. He was able to actually look at her now. She had brown hair that was cut short but still covered her left eye, the eye he could see was brown like her hair. Her top was red and she wore a leather jacket, both stopping at her belly button. Holding up her black jeans that were ripped at the bottom was a belt with a skull clasp. She also wore black boots.

"Alright, that's not exactly what I intended to happen there. Sorry about that. I'm Misaki Rin, daredevil extraordinaire! What's your name?"

"Kazuma Minami, my title is horror novelist." He said while rubbing his head, staring up at her. "What the hell just happened?"

"One of my daring stunts! Dropping from a second floor railing down to the ground floor! I would've done something better but so far, I'm not seeing any good opportunities for better stunts." She pouted a bit at that last part.

"Ah, I'm sure there'll be opportunities. Don't sweat it."

Misaki held out her hand and pulled him to his feet, a grin on her face. "Y'know, you're alright. I've got to show those others that I can do some crazy stuff, so don't hang around the lobby for the next thirty minutes or so."

"Right, I'll be sure to do that. Hey, if possible, could you let others know that I intend for us all to meet up at the diner in about two hours?"

"Heh, you got it!" And with that, she bounded over to the elevators to head back up to the railings. Kazuma felt like she'd probably injure herself if she kept this up, but sighed and headed towards the elevators as well. As he approached it, he took notice that there were three elevators. Two of them were normal elevators but the other was olden-looking with a gate door. It was off to the side, unlike the other elevators. He attempted to press the button but it didn't open. He also noted that it went down to a lower floor and didn't go up to the above floors. Brushing it off as a service elevator, he returned to the other two and ascended to the next floor.

The map on his e-Handbook stated that two people were on this floor. Stepping off the elevator, he wandered a bit in search of them. He came upon a coffee shop, which definitely proved to him that this wasn't the common apartment complex. Inside the coffee shop was a girl who was short and skinny. Her skin was tanned and she had brown hair pulled into a ponytail, held in place by a sunflower shaped hair tie. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt under a green jacket and had on a white and yellow striped tie. Her short skirt was dark green in color, and she had on white knee-high socks with black shoes. Her right hand was focused on her tie, fixing it and making sure it looked presentable. Figuring he could use some energy for that slowly sinking feeling he was getting about all this, Kazuma entered the coffee shop to get a drink as well as talk to her.

Looking up from her own coffee, she saw him enter and closed the notebook he hadn't even noticed she had. Drinking the small cup he'd prepared, he sat down at the table next to her and introduced herself. "Hi there. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Midoriko Haseyama, Super High School Level Gossiper. Tell me you've seen what Misaki's been doing!"

"Afraid I have. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got a face full of her boots."

"Oh dear." Midoriko opened her notebook back up, writing down a few things. It appeared that the notebook she had was nearly half full from whatever it was she was making notes of. He couldn't even focus on what she was writing with the speed at which her pen flew across the paper. Upon finishing, she returned her pen to her pocket and closed the notebook.

After being filled with pointless information about everyone else that she'd picked up for twenty minutes, Midoriko finally seemed like she'd let him go. Finishing his cup, Kazuma tossed it in the trash and then went to leave. As he went out the door, he paused. She was good at spreading stuff.

"If you don't mind, could you inform everyone else that I'd like us all to meet up in about an hour and a half?"

"Ooh, a big group get-together? Leave it to me!"

With a word of thanks, Kazuma exited the coffee shop and headed down the hallway. After wandering a bit, he finally found the other person who'd been on the second floor. There was a balcony with a direct view of the city. On it stood a boy. He had slicked back hair, short and spiky and black in color. His eyes were the color of amber and he had on a yellow t-shirt, a black and white strip running down the left side of it. His blue jacket depicted a shield as well as a rifle and gun crossing. His jeans were half black and half white and he had a small black goatee.

He looked to be deep in thought as he stared down at the city. Kazuma approached and tapped his shoulder, to which the boy turned around and greeted him warmly.

"Hello! I'm Vector Litgen, Strategic Tactician. I'd like it if you just called me Vechs though."

"Kazuma Minami, and I write horror novels. What...exactly is a strategic tactician?"

"It's just a fancy term for me being the person coming up with all of the strategies when I was in the military."

"Wow, that sounds actually sounds pretty cool."

"I don't know about that, ha. I just liked being useful to my team."

Kazuma talked to him for a little longer, the two of them standing out on the balcony and looking down. Occasionally they'd spot a fellow classmate outside, wandering around in exploration. After a bit, he invited Vechs to the diner meeting.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I've been quite curious as to what's going on as well."

"Great, I'll see you then."

Kazuma turned and left, officially being able to dub the first floor the Recreation Area as it was just a coffee shop and a few rec rooms. He assumed the apartments would be on Floor 2. Making his way back to the elevator, he boarded it and found the second floor had six people upon it when inspecting the map on his e-Handbook. He saw name tags for Kimiko, Mamoru, 17 and Misaki but the other two would be the remaining students he hadn't met yet.

Getting off the elevator, he found he was correct in assuming that this was the apartment floor. Walking down the hallway, he found there were nameplates on each door and continued on until he found a name he didn't recognize. The first room he found had a nameplate reading AVANNA BUNKO. He knocked gently on the door.

After a few moments, the door was opened and Kazuma was face to face with her. Avanna had brown hair reaching just past her shoulders and startlingly grey eyes. She had an orange top and wore a green knitted jacket as well as black jeans and brown combat boots. On her wrist was a black watch. She looked at him questioningly. "What do you need?"

"I was just trying to meet all of my classmates as well as inform them of a meeting I wanted to hold in about an hour. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Well, I'd assume you already know my name from my door but my title is Bassist. What's this meeting supposed to be for?"

"It'd be at the diner, and I wanted to discuss some things I've been noticing about the situation we're all in."

"You mean like why we're in a city when the last thing we all remember is being at Hope's Peak? Why there's a giant wall keeping us from leaving here? Why the rest of the city is gated off? I'd like to know those things as well. You can definitely count on me to show up at the diner."

"Great! Well, I've got one last person I haven't met yet, so I'm going to run off and do that now. I'll see you in an hour!"

Avanna silently closed her door and Kazuma took his leave, reading through all of the nameplates. Finally he found the last student he hadn't met yet, the nameplate reading RIKIYA ORIHARA. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by a boy who was a few inches taller than him. Rikiya had short but wild black hair, a streak of dark blue running through it. His frame was slender and his eyes were a light green-yellow color. He wore a navy blue sweatshirt and old jeans that had a few holes in them and were streaked with dried paint.

"Hi there!"

"Hey. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist. I wanted to meet all of my classmates and invite them to a meeting at the diner in an hour. I wanted us all to talk about a few of the mysteries surrounding this city."

"Ah, I'm quite curious as well! I'll tag along with you then. And before I forget, since you gave me your talent, I'll give you mine." He smiled at him, and then proceeded to tell him in a perfect imitation of Kazuma's voice. "I'm the Super High School Level Mimic."

Kazuma stared in surprise, not having expected Rikiya to imitate his voice. The other boy laughed a bit from the reaction, then said a few parting words in his regular voice before retreating back into his apartment. Kazuma decided then to go meet back up with the others and inform them of his plans.

Using the map on his e-Handbook, it wasn't hard at all to locate Kimiko, Mamoru and 17. Kazuma felt it better to let 17 rest for now in hopes his memory would return and they could finally really know him. Knocking on the door to Mamoru's room, Kimiko opened it and greeted him.

"I'm officially done meeting everyone now, and I noticed a few things while I was out."

"Hm? What is it you've noticed?" Mamoru questioned, definitely curious to the surroundings he was unable to see for himself.

"Well, for one, there's giant wall enclosing the city. There's a gate that's blocking us off from the rest of the city limits. Then I got to thinking more, with some help from Avanna. The last thing I remember is being at Hope's Peak, so what happened? How'd we get here in the first place?"

Kimiko looked troubled from all these new thoughts, as did Mamoru. He spoke up after a moment.

"Yes, these are all quite alarming things. What do you propose we do about it?"

"I've already planned a meeting at the diner for all sixteen of us to assess and discuss our situation." Kazuma glanced up at the clock. "With the time I spent finishing up my introductions, there's about 45 minutes until everyone starts gathering."

"This is quite the predicament, but I believe all will be well! I have hope that nothing bad is going to happen!" Kimiko said with a smile, attempting to brighten the mood. That was when it started. A monitor Kazuma hadn't even noticed was on the wall suddenly crackled to life. The static was thick and he could barely see the outline of a figure on it. A voice came through. The voice was sort of child-like but the tone was full of darkness.

"Testing, testing! Hello? Can you all hear me? This is an announcement! I'd like for you all to gather at the gazebo in the center right now! Get a move on, this is important!"

An uneasy feeling of dread filled Kazuma as the announcement finished and the monitor clicked off. Who was that? After a few moments, the three were out in the hallway and he could see 17, Misaki, Avanna and Rikiya were out and just as confused.

"Who was that on the monitor?" Avanna asked, a question no one had an answer to.

"I don't know, but we better get down there. I have a bad feeling about this." Misaki responded, leading them towards the elevator. After descending and exiting the apartment complex with everyone else, they all headed towards the gazebo.

Little did they know that a life of despair was just about to begin.

 


	4. Prologue -- Welcome to Despair City IV

All sixteen students had gathered at the gazebo, and all were wondering the same thing. Who was that on the monitor telling them to come here? The gazebo was abuzz with rapid-fire talking and questioning, everyone talking over each other. Suddenly, a new voice was added to the mix.

"Attention! Attention!" It seemed only Kazuma had noticed. "Shut the hell up!"

Everyone was now focused on the new voice, which was emanating from in the gazebo. Inside stood a black and white bear with one eye glowing red. It appeared to be just a plushie, except it was walking and talking.

"Now then, we can begin! My name is Monokuma, and welcome to my city!"

It was deathly quiet, no one was speaking a word. They all just stared with dumbfounded looks at the bear in front of them.

"What? Bear got your tongues?"

Someone finally voiced what everyone was thinking.

"Now just what the hell is happenin' here?" A mix of shock and confusion was evident in Sumiko's tone.

"You're all official citizens of my city now! But I'm not just your average mayor, no, I'm your teacher as well! I've decided to go ahead and graduate you all so you can start your adult lives!"

"The spirits are telling me that this is no bluff!" Emiko's voice rang out.

"What are your intentions?" Vector demanded.

"Upupupu... my intentions?" Monokuma laughed quietly to himself. "Now we're getting to the fun part! You all have noticed the wall around the city, correct?"

Nods and loose acknowledgments of agreement came from the terribly confused group of students.

"I assume you all wish to leave?"

More agreements.

"Well, there's only one surefire way to leave this city! Simply put, you must murder someone!"

The silence was deafening. Looks of pure horror were on everyone's faces. No one could believe what the bear had just told them. No one _wanted_ to believe what the bear had just told them. They had to murder to leave the city? The whole idea was absolutely ridiculous!

"The fuck...?" Sumiko had gone pale, backing away from the gazebo.

"No...that can't be true!" Tenri was an absolute wreck, and a few others were trying to calm him down.

"Upupupu! But it is! If you really want to get out of this city, just kill a fellow classmate. Doesn't matter how you do it! Stab, slice, sever, impale, burn, drop, electrocute, vivisect, drown, etc.! As long as you get the job done, you can go free!"

No one was willing to speak anymore. A thick cloud of despair hung over them, and the stage was clearly Monokuma's. They just let him speak at this point, to which they could see the bear's delight from the tense situation he'd created.

"Now then, if you'd all be sure to read through the rules on your e-Handbooks. That concludes our meeting, let's start your new city life of mutual killing! Welcome to Despair City!"

With those last words, Monokuma was gone, leaving everyone to their thoughts. Kazuma could only curse as his bad feeling was confirmed. However, it was much worse than he'd expected it to be. Have everyone introduce themselves to each other and become friends only to tell them that they had to kill each other to leave? He hoped no one would give in and do it, that they wouldn't actually start to kill each other. Just the thought of it was nonsensical!

He looked around at the others, noting that Tenri and Kaede had departed, presumably to retreat to their apartments. Kimiko was doing her best to get everyone to look on the bright side, that they'd never kill each other. That they'd all be able to work together to escape. Kazuma wished he could believe that, but with how much everyone was all freaking out, he figured it was only a matter of time before someone was dead.

No... he couldn't afford to think like that. He should have more hope and faith in his new friends. Kazuma joined Kimiko in consoling everyone and before long the crowd was feeling a little better. Worry was still within them all, but the thick fog of despair had been lifted some. Kazuma decided it was time to check the rules that Monokuma had set for them.

1:) Students are not allowed to leave the city.

2:) Nighttime is in effect from 10 PM to 7 AM.

3:) You are free to explore the city at your discretion.

4:) Violence against Mayor Monokuma is disallowed and offenders will be severely punished.

5:) A culprit who kills another student will be allowed to leave, but only if they're not caught.

6:) Additional rules may be added if necessary.

Kazuma stared at these rules, knowing Rule #4 would be a hard one to follow. He felt immense hatred towards that damn bear that put them in this situation. What made him more keen to follow it was that part about being severely punished. He definitely didn't want to figure out what kind of punishments Monokuma would use on them and he hoped no one would have to find out.

Misaki approached him. "Should we still have that meeting since everyone is all together right now?"

Kazuma sighed, looking over at her. "Yeah, we should probably go ahead with it."

He ascended the staircase to the gazebo and sat upon the highest one, staring down at all the other students around him. He breathed in and began speaking to everyone.

"Well, this is rather convenient that he'd get us all together for the meeting anyway. Anyway, we should go over what's happening."

"I think it's pretty clear what's happening," responded Ami, "we're being forced to kill each other if we want to leave. Like that one book. Something Royale?"

"...anyway, it's pretty obvious that that stuffed animal has a lot of control if he can bring us here and have that giant wall around the city. Not to mention that we're the only people here." Kazuma said.

"We already know all of these things, can't we just call it a night? We can go over it some more tomorrow if you want." Ami immediately responded.

The others would've worn amused expressions had the situation been different, but it was clear that almost everyone was agreeing with her. With a sigh, he allowed the group to disband for the night with a promise that they'd all meet up in the diner the next morning.

He trudged back to his apartment with everyone else, not even taking the time to admire his own space. He simple collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into the pillows. Kazuma's mind wandered. Why was this happening to them? Just what was Monokuma? This was all just so unreal, and Kazuma felt like it was like Ami said. A plot right out of a book or something. With a knot in his stomach, he drifted off into a restless sleep.

**PROLOGUE END**

**SURVIVING STUDENTS: 16**

 


	5. Chapter One -- Streets of Despair I

Maybe it was just the grim feeling surrounding them all but no one was too eager to leave their apartments the next morning. It felt like the weather was also feeling down, as conveyed by the grey skies above. Perhaps it would rain, but Kazuma couldn't care less what the weather was like. He just wanted this entire thing to be some crazy dream, but if that's what this was, it was a dream he couldn't wake from.

His memories of the previous day flooded back. He'd woken up in a gazebo along with the SHSL Maid, Kimiko Harumashi. He'd gone around this strange new city and met his fellow classmates until the haze covering his mind lifted and he realized that nothing was right about this. He'd attempted to organize a meeting so they could all talk about just what the hell was happening to them. That's where the situation got even worse. A black and white bear that goes by Monokuma showed up. He told them why they were here. They could either live out their whole lives in this city, or get out by killing someone.

The diner! Shit, he almost forgot! What time was it? The monitor on the wall crackled to life just as he went to check the time. It flickered momentarily and then he saw Monokuma appear on the screen. He appeared to be in a sitting room of an apartment, however this one was infinitely more grand than the ones they had.

"Good morning, you lot! Get yourselves up out of bed and enjoy the big city!"

The monitor darkened once more. If he remembered correctly from the rules, nighttime ended at 7 AM. Kazuma decided it was reasonable to say it was 7. Getting up from the bed, he slipped his shoes on and exited the room only to run into 17. He stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry about that, Kazuma!"

"N-No, it's alright. Are you headed to the diner as well?"

"Actually, no. I think I'm going to sit this one out, because I've started remembering! My name and talent came back overnight!"

"Eh?!"

"Yeah! My name's Katashi Yuudai, and my talent is the SHSL Musician!"

Kazuma peered around him at his apartment, and the nameplate that had said 17 just last night was indeed replaced with one that said Katashi Yuudai. He was happy that his friend had remembered vital information about himself. He grinned widely.

"That's great!" Kazuma was going to hug him, but the thought was a little weird at the moment. Perhaps after they knew each other a little more would he be okay with it. "Did you want me to share the news at the diner, or do you wanna do it yourself later?"

"I think I'll do it! Don't worry too much, I'll join you guys in a bit. I want to sit around in silence just in case anything else comes back."

"Alright," responded Kazuma. He turned to head down to the diner where he was sure the others were beginning to gather. He jogged over to the elevator, and rode down to the ground floor. Passing through the lobby, he once again found himself pinned to the ground.

"Ah, not again! Kazuma, you really need to stop getting in my way!"

"Misaki...can't breathe...get off!"

A burst of air filled his lungs as the daredevil got off of him. Kazuma panted, staggering back to his feet. This time around, Misaki couldn't help but laugh a little. He shot a piercing glare in her direction as he brushed himself off. Patting himself down, he checked for any possible injuries other than bruising. Nothing, he was fine.

"Sorry 'bout that." Misaki's voice was laced with gentle laughter.

"Can't you just take the elevator like a normal person?"

"That would defeat the very purpose of my talent! No can do, writer boy!"

"Ah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that. That comes quite close to the other writer from the school, y'know, the really self-degrading one that only writes cheesy romances?"

"No idea who that is!"

"Lord only knows what she'd be saying right now if she'd heard that."

With a soft sigh, Kazuma turned to leave and wound up with a companion accompanying him to the diner meeting. Pushing open the doors, a burst of wind blew his hair back. Geez, suddenly he kind of wished one of his classmates was a meteorologist so they would've known about any sudden weather changes like this.

"Sure is windy today," came Misaki's comment on the matter.

The two exited the building and entered the windy streets of the desolate city. It was rather bright out, the sun illuminating the place with it's warm rays of light. Despite it being warm, those winds brought in a bit of chill every time they blew through. He trudged north from the apartment complex towards the Divine Diner.

It didn't take long before they arrived, the flickering sign of the eatery looming over them. Through the windows of the establishment, they could see that a good percentage of the others had arrived. It was now time to discuss what could possibly be done about their situation. He approached the entrance, reaching to push open the door when suddenly it was already wide open. Kimiko's smiling face greeted him.

"Good morning, Minami-san!"

"Ah, you're going to continue using formalities? I guess that won't change no matter how many times I ask. Anyway, good morning."

"And good morning to you too, Rin-san!"

He didn't stay long enough to hear the exchanging of greetings, he scanned the diner to see how many of the others were present. There were those that follow: Kazuma, Misaki, Kimiko, Mamoru, Emiko, Ami, Israfel, Kaede, Rikiya and Midoriko.

"Ah, I thought the others would show up."

"Perhaps they will. It'd be in our best interests to give them time," responded Israfel from a booth close to the entrance.

"Indeed, it'd be unwise to not give them any time at all to show up." Emiko didn't raise her head from the steaming cup of tea she was nursing. Kazuma just sighed. It seemed they all mutually agreed that they should give the others time. However, that monochrome bear had given them an ominous task and he wasn't sure if they should waste any time. For all they knew, Monokuma could execute them on the spot.

"No."

"Hm?" Kazuma's flat out denial piqued everyone's curiosity.

"We can't wait. This is a topic that needs addressing now, the others can catch when and if they show up."

"Hold on, why aren't you giving the others time to show up?" Ami questioned.

"I write horror novels where death is the main centerpiece. I should know better than anyone that there are consequences in waiting around."

"Alas, it's not as if we can do much. As you've already noticed, we're walled in and aren't even allowed access to the rest of the city." The statement was rather blunt, but Kazuma had to admit that Israfel had a point.

"I believe this is quite the crossroads we've found ourselves at." Mamoru joined in. "On one hand, this is definitely a topic worth covering. On the other, the situation is rather clear. Would we be wasting this time going over what's already laid out perfectly for us?"

Kazuma bit his lip. He really, really hated to admit that this was rather pointless. There had to be some hope of getting out of this mess, right? There just has to be some way that they can all get out of this city and get back to their normal lives!

"Don't say this, guys! There has to be something we can find that will allow us to escape this black hole of despair!" Kazuma said.

Wait, huh? He had never opened his mouth. He glanced up to find Rikiya grinning at him, everyone else reacting in much the same way aside from Mamoru. It seems the one who is unable to see had reached the conclusion that Rikiya was speaking before everyone else. Kazuma wasn't sure how he felt about that. He also wasn't sure how he felt about the mimic being able to apparently read his thoughts.

"Er, I'd appreciate it if you'd not do that."

"Sorry. Just seemed like something you'd want to say right now."

"That's kinda why I don't want you to do that, that was rather creepy."

"The horror novelist finds that creepy?" Misaki was holding back her amusement.

Kazuma simply sighed and walked off towards the back where the two silent ones sat. Kaede was just being shy, and it seemed that Midoriko was more intent on taking notes of what was happening than actually contributing to the conversation. He didn't try engaging either of them, Midoriko just looked so busy and he could tell that Kaede was rather uncomfortable. He instead just leaned against the counter, looking at the front where everyone else was.

"So, what shall we do then? I'd rather this meeting not be meaningless if possible."

"Let's put in place a new mission then. Instead of going out and confirming that we're trapped here, let's get used to living here. Perhaps something will come up?"

Everyone seemed to agree on Emiko's suggestion, and Kazuma decided that this would be a good route to go. For now. He took a seat at a table as Israfel and Kimiko started to make breakfast. They really did have to get used to living here. He wasn't looking forward to this.

 


	6. Chapter One -- Free Time

So, they were all going to just calm down and live life here for now. Kazuma could handle this plan. However, now he just needed to know what the hell to do. He had plenty of free time on his hands being trapped in a city, so he might as well do something. Perhaps he should hang out with someone.

Well, there's been enough time since he last spoke to Katashi. Perhaps he'd remembered more about himself? Kazuma didn't trust that he was still in his apartment, so he pulled out his eHandbook. The male in question was currently located...in the apartments. Well.

Kazuma sighed and was on his way to the Yokai Apartment Complex. He pushed open the door, carefully checked the balconies for a dangling Misaki, then proceeded to the elevators. He found Katashi on floor one in the cafe. The boy formerly known as 17 waved to him as he entered.

"Rest well?"

"Yeah! I started remembering some more stuff too!"

"Like?"

"Sit down, and I'll tell you."

Well, he didn't really have anything else he needed to do today so he sat down at Katashi's table to let him speak. Always nice to learn more about friends.

"Well, I come from a rich family. I was an honors student at my old high school before Hope's Peak. Ah, I've always had an affinity for instruments. It made me really famous among my classmates!"

Kazuma wasn't going to lie, it was pretty cool to see him all hyped up about remembering himself. Then he remembered something he'd found earlier from wandering around. He'd originally planned to keep it for himself but oh well, he could make an exception.

"Hey, Katashi. I found this earlier, you can have it."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an MP3 player from the vendor stalls. This confused Katashi a bit. There had been plenty there after all. "Ah, I kind of already nicked one from the place, so you don't really need to."

"Yeah, well, this one is different. Unlike the others, this one is loaded with songs and I also discovered a record feature on it. I figured you'd like it because you like music."

Katashi's eyes widened, and upon booting it up, he found that what Kazuma had said was indeed true. He grinned, immediately going through the list of songs that were on the device while Kazuma sat with a content smile. He'd made the right choice in giving it up, even though he liked a few of the songs on there.

After a few moments of thanking, Katashi left with his new prize. Kazuma went over to prepare himself a coffee. He grabbed a cup and filled it to the brim with the steaming black drink, grabbing a few sugars and creamer and adding it to the mixture until it was a nice tan color. Placing a lid on it and sipping the hot liquid carefully, he checked the time. It was around five, he still had plenty of time to kill before night time began.

That announcement ran through his head again. The bear appearing on the screens and giving them the announcement that it was now time for bed, it just seemed so innocent from a plushie with such malicious intent towards them all. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was around the corner from them all.

He shook his head and rounded the corner to head back out when he ran into Emiko and jumped in surprise.

"Oh man, you startled me!"

"My sincerest apologies."

"Ahh.. it's alright. You heading down?"

"I am."

"I've nothing better to do, mind if I head with you?"

"Certainly not, if you're fine with leaving for Serenity Park."

"That's fine with me."

Kazuma and Emiko headed for the park. It was rather nice out today, the sun's soft golden rays making the park just feel calm and peaceful in the midst of the terrible situation they've found themselves caught in. He felt like he could forget about their troubles for right now, just enjoy some much needed sun. He found it a bit ironic that as a horror writer, he was quite pale.

"I assume there's some reason for wishing to tag along with me?"

"No real reason besides that I'd like to get to know everyone better if we're to live out our lives here. Not really knowing or liking anyone would just make the situation even fruitless."

Emiko nodded lightly, finding a bench and taking a seat in the shade.

"Well, I suppose we can start getting to know each other by discussing ourselves. For instance, how did you find out about your talent, Kazuma?"

"I was around the age of six. I have an older brother, Ryou, and he's absolutely obsessed with horror films. Back then, he'd force me to watch them with him. After a few of them, I got less scared and was focusing more on the storylines. I was noticing all the flaws in the storytelling and thinking I could do something that flowed a lot better, was more consistent and could still horrify the reader. And as it turns out, I was right."

She regarded all this new information with appreciation, giving a little smile.

"I assume you wish to know how I got mine in return?"

"No, I'd actually like to just know about you. I can ask about how you found your talent later."

Emiko's smile faded a bit, but then she shrugged it off and began her story. "To start off, Death has been with me my entire life. Everyone knows that its unavoidable, but life has been rather cruel to me from the start. At the age of four, my parents were on a drive. Perhaps they were on their way home, or perhaps they were headed someplace else. I was never told, and it seems like no one really knew. Someone must have thought it would be funny to scatter some nails on the road, they popped the tires of the car and caused it to crash. Neither of them survived. I was sent to live with my aunt afterwards. I adjusted well to my new setting, I earned a few friends there and I got along very well with my aunt. Everything was just fine until I was six. That year my friend drowned. The life guards hadn't been paying attention and she swam out too far. Not long after that was the death of my aunt. She had gone out to the bank to cash in her paycheck when a gang of robbers entered the bank. She tried to run and one of the robbers shot her twelve times. She never stood a chance. Since then, I've been raised up in an orphanage. Everyone there always thought it weird that I wasn't mourning but I guess they have different views about it than I do. Mourning takes a lot from you, so I've always gone about it another way. Instead of crying over their death, isn't it much better to celebrate their life? Besides, they're never truly gone, they're always with you in spirit."

Kazuma had a somber expression on his face. Emiko's childhood had been rough, that much was clear. He hadn't experienced loss like she had but he could always sympathize with her. He was at least happy that she was still smiling.

"Thank you for listening to all that, it's not something I share often."

"Really, it's no problem. If you ever want to talk, I can always lend an ear."

"You're not a bad person at all, Kazuma. I see no good reason to not befriend you."

"I don't think you're a bad person either. I'd be happy to have you as a friend."

Emiko gave him a smile and stood, going to leave but then that feeling of despair clouded everything again. Kazuma gulped, he had a feeling he knew what was coming. The feeling was thick in the air, and one sound confirmed his suspicions. The low hum as a nearby monitor crackled to life. The screen flickered and that horrid monochromatic bear came into view. Kazuma shot up into a standing position and he could see that Emiko was frozen in place. Monokuma began to speak to them.

"Helloooo students! I see none of you have killed anyone yet. It's soo booooring just waiting for you to off each other! Cut the friendship crap and just kill someone! Or maybe... maybe you need an incentive? Meet me at the gazebo, now!"

Oh no. A feeling of dread was churning in the pit of his stomach. It seems this bear was very intent on murder and there was no escaping it like they had planned. If being told to kill each other wasn't bad enough, now they get a motive to do it.

"I guess we don't have any choice. Shall we go?"

Kazuma hated to agree on this particular subject, but he gave Emiko a nod and they began their trek to the gazebo in the center of their newly christened Despair City.

 


	7. Chapter One -- Motive

Monokuma had just ordered them all to the gazebo. Kazuma felt tense, he knew this was going to be far from good. Anything that bear had to say was never good, and the feeling in his stomach was getting worse and worse with every step he took. He and Emiko walked in silence, the dread in the air around them so thick that it felt like you could cut it.

He saw a few others making their way towards the gazebo in the distance. He could just barely make out Tenri's long hair being blown about messily in the chilled breeze. Kazuma couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. The guy was a rather shy person, and seemed to apologize for everything. This situation was probably amplifying his nervousness and that was something that he definitely didn't need or deserve.

Kazuma closed his eyes, exhaling loudly. When he opened them, Sumiko had appeared no less than half a foot from him. He recoiled a bit in surprise, to which she just gave a grin. He'd almost forgotten, to be an SHSL Thief, you have to be a master at being sneaky. Not mere moments after he thought of this had she disappeared off into the distance. He figured she'd probably make it to the gazebo first. That girl was quick.

As he and Emiko approached the gazebo, he found he was indeed correct, she was there first. Following suit was Vechs and Tenri after him. Avanna showed up maybe a minute later. Slowly, the whole group piled in around the gazebo. Kazuma was very nervous, he knew this wouldn't be good. He turned to Vechs.

"What are you making of this 'incentive'?"

"Well, it would appear that Monokuma is very serious about getting us to kill each other. I've got quite the bad feeling about this."

So it would seem that Vechs had the same opinion as him. Kazuma was sure that everyone else shared this opinion. He heard rustling about, and knew that it was probably around time for the bear to make an appearance. Sure enough, it only a matter of seconds, Monokuma sprang up and was standing in the center of the gazebo. The dread in the air only got stronger.

"Greetings students!" Monokuma said excitedly. "Sadly enough, all sixteen of you are present!"

No one said a word in response to this. Kazuma was attempting to will him away, but no matter how hard he thought, that bear was still standing there in front of them. He continued on. "Well, I figured that if just being told you had to kill someone doesn't get you to do it, then I'll just have to give you a reason to off one of your buddies!"

Sumiko was glaring daggers at the plush. "And jus' what makes ya think we'll kill someone over anythin' you have to tell us?"

"Oh, getting to the point already? And I was hoping I could drag it out longer! Make you feel the despair of waiting! Well, if we must do it early..." Kazuma felt cold as Monokuma went to finish his statement, "...your incentive is--drum roll please!"

The monochromatic ursine pulled out a remote and pressed a button, which caused speakers to blare a drum roll obnoxiously loud. The sound continued for maybe a minute, it seems Monokuma was determined to have the wait drawn out anyway. Finally, Monokuma ended the sound byte and delivered the punchline to the sick waiting game.

"Your motive to kill is your families and your friends!"

Kazuma saw Sumiko's annoyance melt into a look of surprise and disbelief. She was silent for a moment before continuing. "What do you mean our families?"

"I mean that if someone doesn't die in the next two days, then I'll have your friends and your families executed and you all get to watch the live feed of this happening!"

Kazuma's world was spinning in his head as he processed this. His first thought wasn't of twenty year old Ryou Minami. No, it was of poor twelve year old Naoko Minami. If Monokuma was telling the truth, he'd be forced to watch his little sister killed. His little sister was everything to him. Of course that didn't mean he hated Ryou, his older brother was a great guy. However, Kazuma had always taken care of Naoko, and it'd kill him if she were murdered because of this hellish situation they were in.

* * *

 

_A small girl with long, dark curls frowned as she stared down at the box of a puzzle game. She was rather confused by it. She couldn't help but be confused either because she had never heard of a milk puzzle, and it looked kinda boring. A fifteen year-old Kazuma sat beside her, smiling a little at her reaction._

_"What's a milk puzzle?"_

_"A milk puzzle is a kind of puzzle where all of the pieces are white. It makes it a lot harder to put together, but I know you can do it and I'm right here to help you if you get stuck."_

_"What's the point if you don't even make a picture in the end, though?"_

_Kazuma laughed at this, gently ruffling her hair. "C'mon, let's get started."_

_In the end, Naoko hadn't even needed his help. After she paired together a few pieces, she quickly got the hang of it and was done in about twenty minutes. She stood up with her hands on her hips, proud of her work. Kazuma wasn't surprised though. He knew she was smart and he had total faith in her._

_"See, I told you you could do it."_

* * *

 

_It hurt. Naoko had scaled the tree in their backyard plenty of times before. It was a peaceful place to just sit and watch things, a great place to go when she wanted to just enjoy being outside. But this time she was a little too quick about climbing and lost her footing. She hadn't been too high up, but there was a rocky patch below her favorite branch. When she had fallen, a rock scraped her arm._

_She sat there for a moment, holding her injury and just hoping that the pain would go away quickly but her grip was too tight and was only making things worse for her. Naoko couldn't hold back the sniffles. Kazuma had been doing the dishes inside, but he finally noticed what had happened when he glanced out the window. He rushed out to get her._

_Pulling her gently to her feet, Kazuma inspected her arm. His grip was loose so he didn't cause her any pain. He gave his sister a soft smile, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Let's get that gash cleaned up and you'll be just fine."_

_He led her back inside and got out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the bathroom's medicine cabinet. Lightly wetting a cloth, he laid it against Naoko's wound. She winced a bit but let it sit for a moment. Afterwards, he grabbed a band-aid and put it on._

_"All better now."_

_"Thanks." Naoko said quietly, hugging him. "Love you, big bro."_

_"I love you too, little sis."_

* * *

 

_"You got a letter from Hope's Peak?"_

_Naoko was a little sad that Kazuma was going to be gone, but she wasn't selfish in the slightest. She was happy his talent had been recognized, because he was truly the best at what he did._

_"Yeah, I did. Looks like I've got a dorm room and all."_

_"Well, you better be visiting on the weekends, then!" Naoko responded jokingly._

_"Every weekend?"_

_"Every weekend."_

_Kazuma laughed a little. "Every weekend it is."_

* * *

 

He couldn't fulfill that promise anymore. There'd be no visits every weekend. And if this motive was the real deal, Naoko only had two more days to live. Kazuma wouldn't be able to live with himself if he were the reason she ended up dead. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the bear was getting through to him. And it seemed to be working for everyone else to. There was worried chattering all around him. Sumiko was still shell-shocked, but her expression gave off hints of anger. If Monokuma didn't leave soon, Kazuma was afraid she'd throttle him and get herself killed.

He had to steel himself though. It couldn't be true, right? He refused to believe it, because he didn't want to even consider the possibility of his sister being executed. There had been no other moment so far where he had wanted to be out of this situation more than he did right now. He wanted desperately to be at home with his sister, enrolled in a normal high school where he didn't have to worry about this.

The bear seemed to be enjoying the reaction to his incentive and took his leave. Kazuma was as uneasy as ever. He knew that no one wanted this to happen. He just knew that somebody would stop this. Deep in the pit of his stomach roiled a feeling that someone among them was making plans to prevent the executions of their loved ones.

He just didn't know when this feeling would come true, and that was the worst part.

 


	8. Chapter One -- Streets of Despair II

The sky the next day was dark and foreboding. In just two days, their friends and families would be dead unless one of the sixteen students commits murder. This knowledge was hung achingly heavy over all of them. What would become of Naoko? Of Ryou? Kazuma didn't know, but he was trying not to let this lack of knowing bother him.

He could only imagine what everyone else was feeling. Except maybe Emiko. Was there anyone left outside these walls that she truly cared for, or were all of her friends limited to her fifteen classmates? He only got partial relief from this, at least one person wasn't that affected by this godawful motive.

Now what about the other fourteen? Surely they had family and friends on the outside that they cared for. Sumiko, for example. Kazuma had noticed her reaction, that made him sure that someone she cared about was in trouble. Was it her father? Sister? Brother? Mother? Kazuma didn't have the answer to this yet. He decided that maybe he should talk to the others about the motive, keep an eye on who had someone to lose.

If he knew this, there'd be a lesser chance of murder. But then he'd need help watching everyone, wouldn't he? And even then, there was the possibility of betrayal. Kazuma didn't want to think like that though. Sure, some of his friends were a tad eccentric, but surely they wouldn't kill each other! He at least hoped that he was right to have faith in them.

Perhaps he'd go see Sumiko and Vechs first, see where they stand on the motive. He'd already heard some of Vechs' thoughts yesterday, but Kazuma hadn't seen his reaction to the motive. Perhaps Vechs had someone close to lose. He already had a hunch towards whether or not Sumiko did.

He stood up from his bed, ready to go out in search of his classmates. He had a slight feeling of nostalgia from their first day when he'd been tracking them all down to get acquainted with everyone. That had been some lighthearted fun though, hell, they hadn't even been very worried about the fact that they had no idea where the hell they were. But now they knew that everything was much much worse than they could have imagined.

With a deep breath, he opened the door to his apartment, the light creak making him flinch a bit. The sound was rather grating to his nerves, which were rather frayed at the moment. He stepped out into the hallway, glancing down in hopes that someone was around for him to talk to. Alas, it seemed as though he'd need to use the map on his e-Handbook.

Sliding the thin device out of his pocket, he noticed something he hadn't before. Both Katashi and Emiko's profiles had a new page displaying a summary of what they'd told him about themselves. He nodded slightly, thinking it'd probably be useful to remember this the next time he got to know fellow students better. Checking the map, he found Sumiko was by the vendor stalls close to the diner.

He took off in that direction, heading towards the elevator. Pressing the down button, he entered and with a loud groan from the elevator, he was on his way. The lobby was vacant, and upon glancing upwards, not even Misaki was about to get the literal drop on him. Kazuma was sure that the motive was why it was all quiet today.

The weather itself seemed to agree with him. On top of it being a rather dark day, a cold wind bit at his skin. He shrugged it off, continuing towards the direction of Sumiko. After a few minutes of walking, he'd reached the northern vendor stalls. He didn't see the girl in question however. Checking his e-Handbook, it said quite the opposite. She was apparently present within three feet of him.

To confirm this, the thief suddenly vaulted out from behind one of the stalls, startling Kazuma with her sudden appearance. He groaned a bit afterwards, clutching his forehead for being so stupid. Being a horror novelist, he honestly should've seen this coming. It shouldn't come to any surprise that a thief would still have energy like that in the face of despair.

"Oh, hey Kazuma."

"Hey," he replied quietly. "You raiding the stalls or something?"

"Hadn't checked 'em out yet, came to survey the goods, y'know?"

Kazuma chuckled halfheartedly. He didn't really think he could sympathize with that statement, after all the thief here was Sumiko, not himself.

"Am I right to guess that yer here because ya checked where I was on the map?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Then ya must have somethin' to talk about."

"I do. I kinda wanted to talk about the motive from yesterday."

Sumiko nodded, taking that in. He wanted to discuss the incentive for murder that Monokuma had given them all. Kazuma took this moment to think over how he wanted to breach the topic, come right out and say it with his suspicions and all, or be careful about how he worded things so as not to let on that he really wanted to trust everyone but also not let his guard down.

"Upupu, what's this?" The very bear behind the motive popped up from behind the stall Sumiko had appeared from. "Are we discussing who we're gonna off to protect our loved ones?"

"N-No!" Kazuma was reeling in surprise from not only the appearance of the bear, but also his direct question.

"Where the hell did ya come from? You weren't back there when I was!"

"A bear never reveals his secrets! Now then, let's just get right to the good stuff! Who're you gonna kill?"

"We ain't going to kill anyone over yer stupid motive!"

"I see... how disappointing..." Monokuma stared down at the ground sadly, turning to walk away, leaving behind two very confused students.

"Wha-what the hell just happened?" Kazuma wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, but you have yer answer if you were gonna ask whether I'd take the motive seriously or not."

Kazuma nodded slightly, turning to walk away. He stopped though. His curiosity got the better of him and he wanted to know one thing.

"Hey, Sumiko?"

"Hm?"

"Who is it for you?"

"Eh?"

"For the motive, I mean. Who would it be for you?"

Sumiko paused for a minute. She gave him one last look before speaking. "My sisters, Saika and Shiori."

Kazuma nodded and she walked off, presumably to root through the vendor stalls. He turned and headed to the diner. He hadn't had breakfast yet and figured he should probably eat before he passed out. Heading in to the diner, he found a few more of his fellow students. Vechs was drinking a coffee in a booth. He saw Tenri in the back, presumably to avoid interaction with others. Ami and Avanna were more towards the middle, they were seated at the counter and chatting idly.

He saw something that was rather out of character from this scene though. Ami looked a lot less hyper. Kazuma listened a little more carefully, and he could occasionally hear the linguist muttering something quietly in a language he couldn't understand. He wondered if the motive was the reason behind this.

Kazuma decided he'd talk to them first since they were the closest to the little kitchen area of the diner. As he pulled out a pan and some bacon to fry, he turned to try and enter the conversation.

"How're you two holding up?"

"Well enough," Avanna replied.

"Ah, and you Ami?"

Ami only glanced upwards, but she was apparently still rather deep in thought. Kazuma wasn't sure if he really wanted to interrupt her thinking time just yet so he focused on Avanna. The bassist would definitely be a lot easier to talk to at the moment.

"I just wanted to talk to everyone about the motive Monokuma gave us. I'm kind of worried about it," his voice got a lot quieter towards the end. Avanna didn't seem to notice it.

"Mm, so you pretty much just want to know if there's anyone I'd lose, right?"

"Ah, yeah, actually. That's pretty much it."

"My parents," she answers without even a moment of hesitation. "We might have had differing opinions on what instrument I should play, but I still love them. Who is it for you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My older brother and my little sister."

Allowing a glance over to the linguist, Kazuma noticed that Ami had been paying attention to their conversation. Avanna excused herself and left the diner. It seemed that the usually energetic girl realized that she should probably talk now. He decided that he should start the conversation.

"Sad about the motive?"

"Not the motive directly, it's just bringing up bad memories."

"Oh?"

"Monokuma won't be able to kill anyone for me, which I'm thankful for, but.."

Kazuma was intent on hearing this now. "But?"

"The reason he can't is because my parents disowned me."

"They disowned you? For what?"

"I liked learning things, I got straight As, I was a bit bookish and I wanted to spend my time learning different languages. Apparently this didn't fit the bill for the 'proper girl' my parents wanted me to be, so they disowned me. I became a full time linguist afterwards so I could pay for food and other necessities."

"But, a girl like you would surely have friends?"

"I had acquaintances from around the world, but never really any close friends."

"Sounds like a rough time."

"It was, but I managed."

Kazuma nodded. When he first met her, she was all energy and definitely a little on the odd side, but he hadn't known that she'd have a story like this. He hoped she'd cheer up soon, he missed the happy Ami.

He finished preparing his breakfast, eagerly scarfing it down. Kazuma then approached Vechs, throwing a look his way to silently ask permission to take a seat. Vechs nodded, and Kazuma sat. He went to speak but the other cut him off.

"I heard what you were talking to them about."

"O-oh."

"I can guess that you'd like to know if I'd be losing anyone after the allotted time is up?"

"Yeah, I do want to know that."

"May I know why?"

"I hate saying I don't trust others, but Monokuma gave us all a motive, so it pays to be cautious, y'know?"

Vechs nodded in understanding. "Of course. If we were to go about our daily lives without knowing who to be cautious about, we could end up with a knife in the back."

"Exactly my reasoning."

"Well if you wish to know, it'd most likely be my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Yes. When I was younger, and really up until recently, I rarely had the time to socialize with other kids so my strongest bond was with my brother. I had usually only his company up until thirteen when we separated. We made a promise to see each other again, but I hadn't imagined the next time I'd see him would be like this."

"No one could've expected this."

"So, am I added to the list of people to be cautious around?"

"It pains me to say it, but like you said, I'd rather not end up with a knife in my back for being ignorant."

"Likewise."

Kazuma slowly stood and made his way towards the only other person left in the diner. Tenri noticed him approaching and was shifting in his seat awkwardly, his eyes fixating on everything but Kazuma.

"Can I sit down?"

"U-um, sure, I guess.."

"I was just wondering if, well, you had anyone to be worried about for the motive?"

Tenri's eyes widened, a look of horror on his face. Kazuma decided that he had to tread carefully now, as it appeared that being reminded of their current situation was definitely something that the harpist disliked. He never once took his eyes off of Tenri, and when the nervous guy finally noticed, he began profusely apologizing.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to keep you waiting... I'm such a b-bad person..."

"No, you're not. You're still my friend, don't worry about it."

"W-well, um, I g-guess I have to worry about m-my family..."

Kazuma had expected Tenri to continue, but it was clear from the harpist's now heightened sense of nervousness that that was the most he was going to get from him. Kazuma knew when he should stop badgering someone and relented, getting up from his seat and walking away. Sneaking a glance back, he saw that Tenri was looking a little relieved.

Kazuma wasn't sure who else to talk to, and if he even should as it was. Vechs had a great point, he shouldn't just ignore the problem at hand and end up dead, but at the same time he didn't want to doubt his friends. There was a ton of indecision swirling in his head. In the end, he just decided that he should just occupy his time with other things instead of building up his doubt in his friends.

He made his way back to the vendors and decided to look through all of the vendor stalls for anything he could use to get his mind off of everything. Grabbing a laptop he found, he eagerly checked it to see if there was wifi. They could get themselves out if there was! In the end though, he was disappointed to find that there was none.

Kazuma sighed, but he kept the laptop. It had a word processor, and if he couldn't get help, he could at least spend the rest of his day writing. Heading back to his apartment, he did just that, starting several different documents. One to outline a plot, another to create characters and a third to write the story. Before he knew it, the nighttime announcement was blaring through the monitor on the wall and he went to sleep.

Throughout the night, fifteen of the students were blissfully unaware just how close the end to their peace was.

 


	9. Chapter One -- Free Time II

_Ding-dong, ding-dong!_

"Good morning, you bastards! Riiise and shine! Get your asses up, we've got a beautiful day ahead of us!"

With a soft click, the monitor turned off and Kazuma groaned. He felt that Monokuma was so very wrong. Knowing that at the end of the day, it'd be time for their families and friends to die, it was rather hard to call today beautiful. However, he found himself proven wrong when he glanced outside.

Despite everything he felt, it was rather nice out that day. The sun was shining and the sky was a vivid blue. Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't go to hell today? He knew that was asking for a lot, but everyone really did need a day off from worry. He winced as he thought of all the ways that damn bear could finish off his siblings. Those thoughts made him feel nauseated.

Standing up, he felt his body ache. It seemed he was also physically unprepared for the day ahead of him. He grabbed the laptop before he did anything else. Forcing himself to move, he opened his apartment door and stepped out into the hallway. If anyone else was up, they'd already got a move on. All was quiet in the apartment complex. The groggy, aching Kazuma really needed a pick-me-up.

Shuffling down the hall, he journeyed for the cafe. He felt horrible, and would not be surprised if he ended up being the first death. Making his way to the elevator, he pressed the button for floor one. Kazuma inwardly cursed at the fact that he couldn't make time go faster.

Finally he got to the cafe and prepared his coffee, drinking it with a sigh of relief. He started to feel much better. He wasn't sure if he was 'fight through the day' better, but he certainly had enough energy now to at least trudge his way through it. He decided that to start off his day, he should write. Kazuma hadn't been expecting to get so caught up in writing though, his new stories distracting him until he saw that it was 1:15 PM.

Shaking his head, he came out of writer mode, shutting the laptop as he stood up to leave. Walking out of the cafe, he headed towards the balcony for some fresh air. That was when he noticed the balcony was already occupied. The person standing there enjoying the cool breeze was Mamoru Arakawa.

Kazuma shrugged. He had plenty of free time today, why not spend some time talking to a friend? He made his way towards the large balcony, leaning against the railing, enjoying the feel of the cool wind on his face. Mamoru took notice that someone had joined him.

"Who is it?"

"Kazuma."

"Oh. Good afternoon, Kazuma."

"You too."

Mamoru nodded a thank you. With one swift movement of his cane, Mamoru had located a seat and sat down. Kazuma took a seat himself, glancing over at his friend. He couldn't help but be a little curious. He was sure he wasn't the only one who was curious about this either.

"Hey, Mamoru?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to come off as rude, but I'd just like to ask-"

"If I was born blind or not?"

Kazuma was starting to get a little paranoid, it seemed that a lot of people knew what his questions were before he knew himself. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to know."

"No. I had my vision when I was born."

"How did you lose it?"

"It was when I was rather young. At the age of five, I was in a car accident. I could hear the crunching of metal impacting with things. I could hear the fire raging. I had a sharp pain in my head, and I had no idea what was going on. It wasn't until later that they told me debris had hit and blinded me."

"That sounds really bad," Kazuma winced.

"It must've been if I ended up like this," Mamoru smiled softly. Kazuma could appreciate the mathematician's attempt at dry humor, though he didn't find it funny in the least bit.

"It's nice out today. The wind is warm, the sun is out." Kazuma noted to no one in particular, hearing a content sigh of approval from his friend. It really was nice out, he assumed that Mamoru was on the balcony to get some fresh air.

"Yeah, I agree. It's a day better suited to spend outside than cooped up here in the apartments. I think that I'll head out, if you don't mind. You're free to tag along if you wish."

"Mm, I'll catch up with you later. I'd like to check up on a few others first."

"That's fine with me. I have no real destination, so check the map if you need to find me."

With that, Mamoru headed out, disappearing around the corner. Staying on the balcony a while longer, he saw the mathematician leaving the building. After a few minutes, Misaki came bounding into view. Kazuma decided that he'd spend maybe an hour of his free time talking to her. He checked the time on a wall clock. It was nearly two.

He walked out to the elevator, but it opened before he could push the button. Walking out of it was the daredevil herself. She gave him a grin then brushed past him into the cafe. Kazuma sighed, then turned to follow her in.

"How's it going, Minami?"

"A little boring, actually. Figured I'd hang out with some friends."

Misaki nodded, and they began conversing after a moment. They talked for quite a while, in fact it lasted until around two-thirty. Afterwards, their topics began to dwindle and he began to think on any other things he could talk about.

"Hey, Misaki?"

"Yeah?"

"How'd you get your talent?"

"Well, my parents are psychologists. I really wanted to follow in their footsteps, I was making it by at the top of my class. I was completely devoted to being a great psychologist like them. But then I started getting bullied because of how good I was. I think they may have been jealous of my position or something. Anyway, the bullying got so bad that I snapped and did something really reckless and dangerous. When I did that though, the bullying stopped and everyone was impressed. Hell, I even found it fun. After that, I started doing more and more dangerous things and got bigger and bigger as more people were recognizing how good of a daredevil I was. Then Hope's Peak noticed me and here we are."

Kazuma nodded. He found it hard to believe that such a fun girl like her had been bullied, but he knew that anyone could secretly be a victim. Brushing the thought aside, he looked back up at her. Misaki looked like she was making a huge decision, a look of total focus on her face. He was a little curious.

"You look a little lost in your thoughts there."

"Well, I've got something that I kinda want to tell you." She said. Kazuma looked her in the eyes, well really just eye seeing as she always had her hair covering her left eye, definitely a lot more curious now.

"What is it?"

"Swear you'll tell absolutely no one?"

"I swear."

"Well, you see, a while ago I had an accident."

Kazuma blinked, unsure of where this was going. He thought he had a vague idea, though. "An accident?"

Misaki brushed her hair out of her face and Kazuma could finally see her left eye. Well, not really, seeing as there was still an eyepatch covering it. "Yeah, an accident. My left eye was slashed out in that accident. I've had to wear this eyepatch because I don't want others to get all disgusted. Of course, people seeing the eyepatch isn't too great either, so I just wear my hair over it."

Kazuma was a little stunned. Mamoru was blind, and now he finds out that Misaki only has one eye? He definitely had an easy life compared to his friends. They all had bad things happen to them, whereas the first bad thing to happen to him was being stolen away to this city with everyone else.

"That's horrible!"

"Yeah, but it's not like I can do anything about it. Just gotta deal with it, y'know?"

Kazuma nodded. Wasn't like she could do much else. Suddenly, the daredevil perked up a whole lot more. He wondered what she had suddenly thought of.

"Today seems a little gloomy because it's the last day for the motive, but I've got something that can increase the happiness!"

"Hm? What is it?"

"I figured out a new stunt I could do earlier. I found a bike and a ramp in the vendor stalls, so I dragged 'em over to Serenity Park."

"Oh, so that's what you were doing."

"Yeah! Would you like to be the first person to see it?"

"Sure, why not? I have no reason to say no."

"Well, let's go then!"

Before he could say anything else, Misaki was up out of her seat and racing towards the elevators. Kazuma stood up, following behind her. She yelled out a 'Hurry up!' but he saw no reason why they had to hurry. It wasn't even three yet, they had plenty of time left in the day.

Getting into the elevator, he saw just how much energy the daredevil had now. She couldn't stand still for more than five seconds at a time, she was positively bursting with energy now that she could show off a new trick.

The moment those elevator doors were open, she was gone. She raced through the lobby quickly, leaving Kazuma in the dust. She shouted behind her again, but was already far enough that he couldn't make out what she said. He started up into a run, hoping to catch up to her but knowing he wouldn't.

He began his run to the park, far behind Misaki when suddenly he ran directly into Sumiko. Letting out a yelp of surprise, he landed flat on his ass, staring up at the amused thief. He grumbled under his breath, really wishing she'd announce her presence more instead of constantly sneaking around. She held out her hand and helped him to his feet.

"Y'alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What are ya doing?"

"Well, Misaki said that she had found some stuff she could use to do a much better stunt. I was being nice and agreed to watch it."

When he looked up, he noticed that Sumiko had an odd look on her face. She was looking off into the park, just kind of staring awkwardly.

"What's she doing?"

"Huh?" Kazuma turned to see what exactly Sumiko had been looking at in the park. As his gaze locked on a frozen Misaki, the daredevil let out a shriek calling for them. A horrible feeling of dread was present in the pit of his stomach. They needed to get there and fast.

Sumiko broke into a run, and Kazuma followed suit. The two ran as fast as they could towards Serenity Park. The thief was a lot faster than him however, and she pulled ahead. She made it to Misaki first, and she froze as well. The feeling in the pit of his stomach only got even worse and then he could see why.

He remembered back to their first day in the city. He remembered meeting everyone, talking to them. He remembered getting to know each individual person, seeing their smiling and happy faces. All of those happy moments they had all shared were completely marred by the sight he saw before him. The sight was something he had never wanted to see. The sight was something he had never hoped he'd have to see.

Lying on the ground before Kazuma, Misaki and Sumiko was the bloody, broken body of the Super High School Level Mathematician, Mamoru Arakawa.

 


	10. Chapter One -- Deadly Life

_Ding dong, ding dong!_

A nearby monitor flickered to life, and pictured was Monokuma lounging about in his apartment with a glass of wine in hand. Kazuma was not prepared for any of this at all. Monokuma's eerie voice blared out of the speakers. "A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, the class trial will begin!"

No... this couldn't be happening! Mamoru Arakawa, one of his closer friends here, could not possibly be dead! He had just spent time with him an hour ago! And yet, just looking at the body, he knew there was no way his friend was alive. With injuries like that, you couldn't survive. He glanced over at the other two. Sumiko was standing rigid, just staring down at the body. Misaki did not show any sign of being about to scream or cry, instead she looked ready to kill whoever had done this.

It wasn't long before others began to find them and everyone was forced to face reality. All of their constant talk of not playing the killing game was all for naught. Someone among them had taken it upon themselves to kill another. Someone among them all had committed murder!

"I must attempt to contact Mamoru!" Emiko had arrived and began to attempt summoning the spirit of their deceased friend. With a sigh, Kazuma decided to focus back on the body. If Emiko was trying to get information, then they may as well begin examining for clues as well.

Monokuma chose then to make an official appearance, announcing to everyone.

"Before you start investigating all willy-nilly, I'd like to start it off by giving you all some info about the murder in the Monokuma Fiiiile! Check your e-Handbooks to read it!"

Glancing around, everyone appeared to be grabbing their handbooks. Kazuma decided to go ahead and check it too. There could always be something useful there. He found the Truth Bullets section to be accessible now and entered it. The only thing in the list read "Monokuma File #1". He tapped it to pull up the info.

_'The victim was Mamoru Arakawa. Time of death is estimated to be around 2 PM. The victim was found in Serenity Park. The victim has knife wounds along the torso, legs and back. There is also a wound on his neck. The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in instantaneous death.'_

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Monokuma File #1**

Kazuma was horrified. What kind of sick person would do this? Kazuma knew that the details were already stated quite clearly, but he still felt the need to investigate around the body some. He crept up close to Mamoru, carefully looking him over. He spotted something quite interesting. Mamoru's fingernails were cracked and bloody and there were lines of blood leading away, as if he'd been trying to hang on to something, anything while being dragged.

That wasn't the only thing that Kazuma noticed, however. When he went to check Mamoru's hands, he found something. It appears that the mathematician had been holding onto a blue-green piece of fabric at the time of death. It was a bit bloody now, presumably from when Mamoru had bloodied his fingers by gripping onto the hard path. This seemed to be a useful piece of evidence for sure.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Mamoru's Fingernails**

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Lines of Blood**

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Torn Fabric**

There was a particularly nasty stab wound in the middle of Mamoru's back, dead center. The knife was even still there! Whoever had done this wasn't messing around. Suddenly, Misaki appeared next to him. The expression on her face was quite easy to read. She was still reeling from finding the body, but she also seemed to be quite messed up about that wound to the back.

"Oh god, that wound was meant to paralyze his legs."

"What?!" Kazuma was shocked.

"I'm a daredevil, this is info I know just in case an accident should happen. That blow was aimed to his spinal cord. This killer didn't want him getting away."

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Misaki's Account**

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Hunting Knife**

"Hey, what's this?"

Kazuma looked up as he heard Kimiko's question. He could see the pain on her face from having lost a friend, but she was doing her best to cover it up to investigate. She was holding up a small triangular shape she'd found by Mamoru.

"Perhaps it's simply a triangle. It makes sense, he is-or rather, was- a mathematician. Of course he'd have a geometrical shape."

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Geometrical Shape**

Next, he observed the wound on the neck that the Monokuma File had mentioned. There was indeed a thick line across Mamoru's neck, the coloration being a reddish-purple. He could also make out an odd indent. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but that mark seemed vaguely familiar. It'd be worth looking into just what he'd been strangled with.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Strangulation Mark**

He figured it'd be worth checking his pockets, but that wasn't fruitful. Checking around the body for anything else that could be useful, he found a rather large rock. It definitely seemed like this could be the murder weapon, but it seemed a little too obvious to Kazuma. Plus there was only a few small drops of blood on it. He wasn't sure just how to feel about it yet.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Large Rock**

There were no other pieces of evidence around here that he could see, so he stood up and glanced around. The next thing he wanted to do is check around the trash cans to see if the culprit had disposed of anything that they could use.

He checked around every location he knew that had a trash can. He was beginning to think that he wouldn't find anything until he entered the men's room at the diner. Peering into the trash can, he found several bloody tissues. Kazuma immediately knew that he'd made the right decision in checking the trash.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Bloody Tissues**

Exiting the diner, he tried to rack his brain for places to go to investigate next. When he couldn't think of anything, he decided he'd try to rack his mind for things he remembered from earlier. He remembered meeting up with Misaki before two. He figured that that might be something useful to remember for the trial.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Meeting Time**

Going back just a little further in his memories, he remembered the short amount of time he had spent with Mamoru. It was painful to remember, because every memory in his mind brought back that first moment he had seen the body. They couldn't let his killer get away.

He remembered their talk on the balcony, hanging out for a while. He remembered how afterwards, Mamoru had gone outside with no destination in particular. He figured it'd be useful to remember that he had nowhere that he had really been going.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Mamoru's Destination**

Kazuma began his trek back, maybe the others had found something he missed. He came upon Kimiko not far away. She looked a little upset. He walked over to her, because this wasn't the type of upset that came with a friend's death. This was a different type of upset.

"Kimiko? What's up?"

"I found my pendant inside of one of Mamoru's pockets. I hadn't even noticed that it had gone missing.."

Kazuma was a little surprised. He realized what kind of implications this could have. Whoever the culprit was, they were definitely up to something here.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Missing Pendant**

Kazuma started in surprise when a nearby monitor crackled to life. He felt a little unease in what the bear could possibly want to tell them all. Kimiko had paled in response. Neither of them really wanted to deal with any of the bear's shenanigans at the moment. The screen lit up and the bear came into view, sitting in his apartment. Kazuma was filled with dread as the bear began to talk.

"Aaaalright, you bastards! I'm getting a little impatient here, so let's get this class trial going! If you would all be so kind as to meet me at the red elevator in the apartment complex, we can begin the hunt for Mamoru's killer! Upupupu..."

No, the investigation couldn't be over already could it? Kazuma didn't know if they had gathered all of the pieces of the puzzle yet! They could use maybe a little more time to gather decisive evidence, but it seemed like the bear wanted to make the first trial difficult for them all.

Kazuma sighed, changing his direction from the park to the apartment complex. He saw similar looks of worry on everyone's faces as they all came into view. Everyone was nervous because they knew someone had killed Mamoru. No one really knew what to expect in the coming trial. No one really knew who they could trust. No one knew who the culprit was besides the culprit themselves.

Kazuma had a strong feeling that everything they needed to know would come to light soon enough though. He led the group of now only fifteen students into the lobby of the apartment complex. They all walked into the back room where the elevators were located. On the far wall was the red elevator.

It didn't seem like very long ago he was wondering just what the purpose of this ominous looking elevator was. Now that Mamoru was dead, he had discovered what it was to be used for. It would be taking them down to a courtroom so they could discuss the murder of their friend.

Moments passed, and the anxious students stood in silence, waiting for an announcement from the bear. Then with a flash of black and white, the monochromatic ursine was in front of them all. He calmly walked over to the elevator without saying a word to anyone. Monokuma pulled out a key, unlocked the button panel and pressed the down button.

With a hiss, the door slid open and the bear gestured for them all to board the elevator. With a little hesitation, everyone got on the lift, Kazuma standing in the front. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute. The time got nearer and nearer to unveil the culprit behind this murder.

They had to shoot through the lies to get to the truth. They had to solve the culprit's riddles and puzzles to get to the truth. And thus, with a groan, the elevator reached the bottom after a few minutes. The doors slid open, and the curtains rose on the first Class Trial.

 


	11. Chapter One -- Class Trial

The doors slid open and the fifteen students shuffled out into a large trial room. In dead center was a circle of sixteen stands, each one with a student's name emblazoned on it. As if by cruel joke, even Mamoru was present. His stand was occupied by a picture frame showing a greyed out version of his portrait, a bloody X painted over his face. Kazuma was disgusted by the portrayal but moved to his stand.

If one were to go right around the circle starting with the first stand in front of the elevator, they were all seated as following: Kazuma, Misaki, Rikiya, Ami, Tenri, Kimiko, Mamoru's frame, Sumiko, Katashi, Avanna, Vechs, Emiko, Israfel, Rei, Kaede and lastly Midoriko. Once everyone was at their stand, Monokuma dropped into his throne at the back of the room. The bear turned to face them all.

"Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial! Here, you will debate over the murder of your friend Mamoru Arakawa! You'll go over all the clues you discovered during the investigation and see if you can figure out whodunnit! If you are successful and catch the culprit, then the culprit will be executed as punishment! However if you're wrong, then the true blackened gets to go free while the rest of you are punished instead..."

"Wait, what the fuck?!" Sumiko yelled out. "That hardly seems fair!"

"Upupu, but it is very fair to punish you all for blaming an innocent person!"

"But how i-is it fair to punish t-that innocent person too?" Tenri asked.

"Well, it's fair because it's their fault for not being able to clear their name of suspicion!" Monokuma sounded a little annoyed, making Tenri cower in fright.

"I-I'm sorry for a-asking..."

"Enough talking about the basics! Let's just get right into the mystery!"

Kazuma gulped quietly, trying to quell his nervousness. Everyone around him seemed to be just as nervous. No one really wanted to go through with this anymore, but each and every one of them now knew the consequences of just letting this go. Before he knew it, Rikiya started off their debate.

"First off, I kind of want to know how Mamoru ended up in Serenity Park."

"Yes, that does seem like a nice place to start," Kimiko agreed.

"There are _plenty of ways_ Mamoru could've ended up in the park," Rei started.

"Maybe the culprit _lured him there_? That seems reasonable," Vechs suggested.

**BREAK!**

**Incorrect Statement: lured him there**

**Bullet Used: Mamoru's Destination**

"You've got that wrong!" Kazuma replied. "Why he was in Serenity Park is easy to answer. He wasn't lured there by the culprit, no, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"How can you be so sure on this?" Vechs asked.

"Simply put, I spent some time with him earlier. Back then, he said that he was going outside for some fresh air. I promised to meet up with him later and he told me to use the map to find him because he had no specific destination in mind. That means he just ended up in Serenity Park by chance."

"How can we trust that you are giving us correct information?"

"Obviously, you can't because no one else was present." Kazuma's statement launched them into another debate.

"Well, that is indeed  _ rather suspicious _ ," said Emiko.

"Is it really possible that Kazuma did it?" Avanna wondered aloud.

"I say if no one heard it,  _ he's a suspect  _ for sure!" Israfel stated, but there was doubt on his face.

"He could be using this to cover up that he  _ followed Mamoru and killed him _ . If he's the culprit, of course," supplied Ami.

BREAK!

Incorrect Statement: followed Mamoru and killed him

Bullet Used: Meeting Times

"No, I'm not the culprit. I have an alibi for the timeframe in which Mamoru was killed. At the time of the murder, I was in the apartment complex coffee shop with Misaki."

"Yeah, I can confirm. He was there at the time of death," Misaki said to build upon Kazuma's previous statement.

Everyone looked troubled. They were back to square one. Those past two debates didn't get them any closer to discovering the true culprit. Kazuma sighed, looking down. He knew that they had to keep going. There was no backing down, or else they'd all die and Mamoru's murderer could go free. He couldn't let that happen no matter what.

He raked over ideas in his head, thinking of what they could go over. They could always go over the condition of the body next. What happened there seems rather obvious, but it's always good to talk over it before moving on to the bigger picture.

"So, Mamoru has stab wounds across his torso and one to the back."

"It's safe to assume that the culprit used that hunting knife for those, right?" Midoriko asked.

"Yeah, it's definitely safe to assume that that's what the knife was used for."

"Well, what about that mark on his neck? How'd he get that?" Kaede questioned.

"Yeah, that is curious. How did he end up with a neck injury?" Katashi inquired.

"Maybe they used  _ rope _ ?" Emiko stated.

"Or perhaps something unconventional, like a  _ jacket sleeve _ ?" Israfel commented.

"There w-wasn't any evidence,  _ w-we don't know what th-they used _ ..." Tenri said, clamping his eyes shut.

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: we don't know what they used**

**Bullet Used: Missing Pendant**

**** "That's wrong, Tenri. The culprit did leave behind evidence. In fact, they left behind the weapon they used on his neck."

"Th-they did? I-I'm sorry for being so useless.."

"You're not useless, that statement helped me figure out what they used! Kimiko's pendant went missing from around her neck at some point before the murder, but it was found in one of Mamoru's pockets."

"Hold on!" Ami said. "Can we really be sure that that's what was used to strangle Mamoru? Doesn't it seem a little, I don't know, obvious to you guys?"

"However, don't you think it lines up? There isn't anything else at the crime scene that we could call the weapon used to strangle him."

"I just don't think that it's what was used to strangle him. It seems more like it was placed there to confuse us. There's  _ no real evidence  _ to show that it was used on him!"

** CUT! **

**Incorrect Statement: no real evidence**

**Sword Used: Strangulation Mark**

**** "Allow me to cut through those words, Ami! There actually is evidence to show that Kimiko's pendant was used to strangle him. If you look at the strangulation mark on his neck, you'll see that there's an odd indent just below the mark. It'd be reasonable to assume that that indent was from the star pendant pressing into his neck."

"Oh. Sorry for arguing then," Ami responded, backing down.

However, someone else did seem to have something to say. Vechs gave Kazuma a calm stare, while motioning that he was about to make a point. His voice was calm when he spoke, his words smooth and even but rather blunt and straight to the main point.

"Kazuma, you do realize that you've bumped two of our friends very high on the suspect list, correct?"

"Huh?"

"Kimiko's pendant was used to strangle Mamoru. If it went missing, Sumiko's title is the SHSL Thief. This puts both of them high on the suspect list. We cannot prove that Kimiko is telling the truth about her pendant being stolen, which means she could be lying. If she's lying, she's just trying to distract us all from the fact that she's the culprit. On the hand that she isn't lying however, that would incriminate our thief, Sumiko."

"You better watch yerself, Vechs." Sumiko responded coldly, glaring at the tactician.

"I'll have you know that didn't help your case in the slightest."

"While that is true and all, there's still the chance that the culprit is neither of them. It's best not to point suspicion on anyone until we have good reason to." Kazuma replied.

Kimiko gave him a grateful look, whereas Sumiko just nodded appreciatively. Kazuma didn't want to doubt any of his friends, but the knowledge that one of them was a killer was lingering in his mind. He didn't want to think the culprit was either of them, and he knew they'd just have to keep moving forward like this until they had definitive proof.

"Alright, well, now we've discussed the stab wounds and strangulation. What about the actual murder weapon? The weapon used to bash his head in." Misaki started.

"It'd have to be something  _ hard... _ " Avanna noted.

"Ideally, the weapon would be  _ large _ too," was Kaede's contribution.

"Maybe they just  _ stomped on his head _ ?" Rei suggested.

"Perhaps it was that rock we found?" Emiko supplied.

"No, I think that was  _ placed as a diversion _ ." Ami shook her head.

CONSENT!

Matching Statement: placed as a diversion

Bullet Used: Large Rock

"I agree with that! The only weapon left there at the crime scene that could've been used was that rock, but it was way too clean. If it had been used to break his head open, it'd be coated in a lot more blood than what it was."

"I knew my gut was right this time," Ami said proudly.

"But that doesn't help us at all! We're right back to where we started, we still have no idea who did it." Rikiya's statement was blunt, but it was the truth.

"Then we just have to keep going over things until we figure it out. There's no giving up just yet!" Kazuma stated, willing his statement to inspire hope in them all.

"Back to the condition of the body, there's more things we need to go over. I've been thinking on it, it seems like he was  _ trying to get away _ ." Vechs announced.

"You're right, it does seem that way," agreed Katashi.

"I've got it! He was probably still fighting even after all of those stabs and  _ got up to run _ , so they killed him with a blow to the head!" Midoriko hypothesized.

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: got up to run**

**Bullet Used: Misaki's Account**

**** "You've got that wrong!"

"Huh? What's wrong with my theory?"

"According to Misaki, that stab wound to the back paralyzed Mamoru. There's no way he would have been able to get up and run."

"How do you know she's right? Last time I checked, she's a daredevil, not a nurse!"

"Why are you this determined not to believe her? The stab wound was directly to his spine."

"No way! I don't think that's right. It makes a lot more sense that he tried to run instead of being killed lying down. Besides,  _ there isn't proof that says otherwise _ !"

** CUT! **

**Incorrect Statement: there isn't proof that says otherwise**

**Sword Used: Mamoru's Fingernails**

**** "Allow me to cut through those words! There is in fact proof that says otherwise. The proof that supports the fact he was killed on the ground are his fingernails. They're all cracked and bloody, like he was trying to hang on to something while being dragged.

"Oh, so do you have proof for him being dragged, then?"

"I do!" Kazuma presents the Lines of Blood truth bullet. "These lines of blood leading away from his fingertips support that he had destroyed his fingernails trying to hold onto the ground while being dragged."

"Okay, there's still one question for all of this. Who did it? We still don't know and we've been debating for a while now. I think it's about time that we actually figured it out." Israfel stated.

"It's hard to do that though, our culprit sure is  _ good at hiding _ ," noted Kaede.

"I'm startin' to question us bein' able to catch 'em," Sumiko stated.

"There has to be a  _ mistake they made _ !" Kimiko encouraged everyone.

"This is getting pointless, there's  _ no evidence _ ." Katashi sighed.

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: no evidence**

**Bullet Used: Geometrical Shape**

"Actually, that's wrong. I think the geometrical shape we found by Mamoru is very helpful evidence."

"What? It is?" Rei looked a little confused, but so did everyone else.

"You're going to have to explain this to us," Vechs said expectantly.

"Well, perhaps we've been looking at the shape wrong. Maybe it has nothing to do with geometry, or doesn't even belong to Mamoru. If you look at it as corresponding to someone else's talent, then one of us here looks rather suspicious."

"Wh-what should we view it as, then?" Tenri asks.

"A guitar pick," Kazuma responded calmly. He felt so stupid for only seeing it just now. "If that's what it is, then there's only one person here it could be."

** Make An Accusation: Katashi Yuudai **

**** "Me?" Katashi said, dumbfounded. "You think I did it?"

"I don't want to believe it, but I think it's possible." Kazuma said. "In fact, I have a theory too. If you dropped your guitar pick by accident, then wouldn't that implicate the murder weapon?"

"You sayin' Katashi killed Mamoru with his guitar?" Sumiko questioned.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Kazuma agreed.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Katashi fretted nervously. "There's no way I'd kill Mamoru!"

"Well, everything is starting to  _ add up _ ," Midoriko said.

"What kind of monster are ya?" Sumiko glared.

"I didn't commit the crime, dammit!" Katashi said defensively.

"Have you got  _ an alibi  _ to back up that statement?" Avanna asked.

"He would have blood on his guitar if he did it." Kaede suggested.

"No! There's  _ never been any blood on my guitar _ ! It's clean!"

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: never been any blood on my guitar**

**Bullet Used: Bloody Tissues**

"No, that's wrong!" Kazuma said, wincing a bit as he forced himself to continue backing his friend into a corner. "There has been blood on your guitar. I found bloody tissues in the trash of the men's room at the diner. If you really did crack his head open with your guitar, then you went there to clean off your guitar."

"Ngh!" Katashi looked like he was ready to burst. Kazuma felt horrible about this whole situation. He didn't want to be breaking his friend like this, he didn't want to have to doubt a friend like this. But he knew he had to, because he couldn't let a friend be dead for nothing. They couldn't let this go, not when they had a culprit in their sights.

"This is fucking nuts! I didn't kill Mamoru!" Katashi yelled, making Kazuma rear back in surprise.

"But there's already evidence showing that you did!"

"No! It's not me! I'm not your damn culprit, okay?!"

"I wish I could believe you, but this just isn't the case!"

"I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't fucking do it!"

"Katashi, just back down now! At least let us believe you in the end!"

"You have  _ no proof that I did it _ , goddammit!"

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: no proof that I did it**

**Bullet Used: Torn Fabric**

"You've got that wrong! There is definitive proof that you did it!"

"What?!" Katashi looked horrified, his face still lit up with anger.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Kazuma said, showing everyone the torn fabric. The bluish-green fabric matched Katashi's jacket perfectly. Everyone noticed this, and Katashi knew that there was no denying it any longer. Kazuma decided that they had to be absolutely positive about this. It was time to go over this case from start to finish.

"Okay, so this is how the case went down. Earlier today, not that long before two o'clock, I met up with Mamoru on the balcony. We talked for a while, then we parted ways. At the same time, we can assume that our culprit had been acquiring their knife. After getting it, they went off to find Kimiko. The culprit managed to sneakily remove her pendant without her noticing. It was time to move their plan into it's next phase. The culprit moved to Serenity Park, where they would wait for any poor soul who happened to show up. At two, Mamoru wandered into the park and that was where our culprit attacked. They wrapped the pendant tight around his throat so he couldn't scream while he was being stabbed. It can be assumed that he was writhing too much, so our culprit decided to paralyze him with a stab to the spinal cord. Our culprit then dragged him back to the entry to the park so his body would be found quickly. Having had their fill, it was time to end Mamoru's suffering with a hard blow to the head from their guitar. They untied the pendant and stuffed it into Mamoru's pocket, then they placed the rock as a diversion. Next, they went to the diner bathroom to clean off the guitar. What they didn't know is that not only did they drop the pick, but Mamoru had torn off a piece of their jacket. These pieces of evidence they didn't notice is what led to the culprit's downfall. Isn't that right, Katashi?"

Katashi was leaning forward on his stand. He was completely silent. He'd been caught red-handed, and everyone present knew it too. It had all happened as Kazuma explained it. He looked up at everyone. They were all staring at him. They were all staring at Mamoru's murderer.

Monokuma decided now was the time to join the fray. "Alright everyone, seems like you've all decided on a culprit. Now then, if you'd all please select who you think it is on the panels in front of you, we can see if you're all oh so right, or so very wrong!"

Kazuma hated to do it, but Katashi had killed Mamoru. Kazuma selected his name and voted. A soft beep rang out from the panels as everyone voted. A slot machine rose up in the middle of the stands. The slots contained pixelated portraits of everyone present. Slowly, each slot began rolling and then its pace got faster and faster. After a few seconds, the first slot stopped, followed by the second and lastly third. Each slot showed Katashi's portrait. It started blinking with the words "GUILTY" flashing below. Coins poured from the machine.

"Yep, you are all very right! Mamoru Arakawa's killer is Katashi Yuudai!"

** TRIAL ONE END. **

 


	12. Chapter One -- Streets of Despair III

Laughing filled the trial room. All was silent except for the laughing. Katashi started laughing harder and harder, the look on his face being one of pure insanity. Kazuma was feeling so confused. Just what had happened to their friend to drive him to kill?

"Katashi...how could you do it?"

"How...?" Katashi was still laughing. "Oh, how indeed?"

"What happened to you?" A nervous Kimiko asked.

"What happened to me?!" Katashi roared. "What fucking happened to me?!"

Kimiko shrank back in shock as their friend slipped further and further into his own madness. Monokuma seemed to be enjoying this conversation heavily. He jumped in after a moment, prepared to help explain it all to them.

"Well, if you want to know what's wrong with your friend here, I guess I'll have to tell you all!" Monokuma stated gleefully. "While I am sad that he didn't kill because of my motive, I do quite like his reasoning."

"Just cut to the chase, what the hell's goin' on?" Sumiko asked impatiently.

"Your friend Katashi here obviously isn't the real Super High School Level Musician!"

Shock colored everyone's faces. Katashi isn't the real Super High School Level Musician? What the hell did Monokuma mean by that. Kazuma glanced over at their recently found culprit, who seemed to be switching back and forth from a look of insane giddiness to powerful anger.

"What, pray tell, is his talent then?" Israfel asked, the question being the same one that was on everyone's minds.

"To put it simply, his talent is the Super High School Level Psychopath!"

"It's...what?" Kazuma asked slowly.

"He's the Super High School Level Psychopath! He was never going to be in class with the rest of you SHSL students, no, that would be far too dangerous! Hope's Peak decided they could school him in private, study his talent that way, possibly even getting him back on a hopeful path!"

Kazuma was terribly confused and he could see the same look on everyone else's face. So, not only had he been lying to them the whole time, but Monokuma went along with it and let them all fall for this trap? He was ready to end that bear because this was all his fault. Mamoru was dead because Monokuma had let Katashi lie.

"Bet you're all wondering how I got this lousy excuse of a talent, huh?" Katashi spoke softly. The way he was speaking somewhat resembled the Katashi they had known before, the friendly Katashi that wouldn't harm a fly. "I used to be normal. I was an honors student, I did everything right. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I always followed the rules, and I was great at all the school's instruments. I was popular, everyone knew me. My parents were rich, almost famous. I had it easy. But good things never last. When you're rich, it makes you a target. I was kidnapped for ransom, my captors wanted my my parents' money. The ransom was set at a million dollars. I believed that they would pay it. I believed that they'd save me. They didn't! They didn't want to save their own son, no, that would cost them precious money! I was held by those captors _for a fucking year!_ I was tortured day in, day out, just because of my parents' greed. But I was watchful. Oh yes, I was very watchful... They forgot to lock my chains up one night and I was free. I got loose and I did to them what they did to me, and then I killed them. I wasn't done there, though! You see, bloodlust is very big with me now. I can never get enough! I had to kill more and more people! More...more....more..."

Katashi had truly gone insane, and everyone was forced to watch their former friend break down. It was not a pretty sight at all, watching his personality they knew fade away in the blink of an eye. He was no longer the person they knew, and there would never be going back now. No, not if what Monokuma planned to do was true.

"One last thing. I had you all. I really did. I never had amnesia in the first place. I spent that time crafting my new persona, the new Katashi that I could act as to fool you all into a false sense of security. I didn't think it'd work quite as well as it did."

"Alright, alright, enough chatter! It's about time we got to the punishment!" Monokuma yelled, getting rather impatient.

A low growl emanated from his throat as he knew he was finished. All eyes were on him, the guy who'd heartlessly killed the Super High School Level Mathematician. The guy who'd nearly been able to fool them all. His mind was racing a mile a minute, he hadn't even expected the guitar's pick to end up at the scene of the crime.

Some were glaring his way, others didn't want to make eye contact with a convicted killer and the lot were just staring at him in confusion. How could such a nice person turn out to be such a sick and sadistic individual truly deserving the title of Super High School Level Psychopath? Katashi's growl faded into roaring laughter. His insanity was at a peak, the stress of impending doom messing him up even worse.

"Upupupu... I've prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Psychopath, Katashi Yuudai!"

A small button with a screen display rose up in front of Monokuma's seat. The black and white bear pulled out a gavel and slammed it down onto the button. The display lit up, showing a pixelated animation of Katashi. A pixelated Monokuma appeared and dragged the pixel Psychopath off, kicking and screaming as text appeared below.

**KATASHI YUUDAI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**COMMENCING EXECUTION.**

**\---**

_A Taste of His Own Medicine_

A metal cuff snapped shut around Katashi's neck, dragging him out of the trial room as the chain retracted. After being pulled down a long hallway, he found himself in a dark and damp concrete room. The neck cuff fell free and he pulled himself to his feet. Charging forward, he made for the exit.

He never reached it. Several Monokumas piled into the room, forcefully grabbing onto him and pinning him up against the wall by each limb. The Psychopath glanced backwards to the wall and found it to be filled with small holes. He didn't have long to wonder what they were for.

More Monokumas appeared, each brandishing their own spear. One moved forward, driving a spear clean through his left leg and into a hole in the wall. Katashi cried out in intense pain, attempting to tear himself free from the bears to no avail. Another spear was impaled through him, this time the right leg. Blood and tears flowed freely from the male. Next came the arms, to which he thrashed about weakly in protest.

The Monokumas holding him up let go as he was now literally pinned to the wall. Two spears were left. Katashi was dizzy, his vision blurry. Everything hurt and with good reason as well. Every time he shifted, he cried out again. Suddenly, more pain was flooding him as he found a spear impaling his midsection. Blood flew from his lips upon giving a sharp cough. The boy was almost dead. He lifted his head one last time to stare forward, only managing to see the last spear flying at him on a path directly between his eyes. Before he could even blink, there was a spear in his head and he was no more.

The trial room was silent. The monitor that had shown them every gruesome detail of Katashi's execution flickered and shut off. Everyone was still reeling from the revelation. He'd truly been a sick and twisted individual, tricking them all by faking amnesia so he could invent a personality to use with them. Then he'd brutally murdered Mamoru.

This entire situation was messed up. Kazuma was lost in his thoughts, the despair slowly creeping in. He didn't even get to say a goodbye to Mamoru. No one had even wanted to say goodbye to Katashi. Monokuma had disappeared at some point, but Kazuma hadn't noticed when. He didn't even see Kimiko fighting back tears in the corner. The most he could do was stumble to the elevator. Everyone followed suit behind him.

The day was only just getting dark but Kazuma didn't even want to wait for nighttime. He was going to his apartment, and he was staying there. How does one regain hope after going through this? He didn't know. He didn't think he'd find out. Everyone was sullen, and yet he was feeling so horrible about everything that he couldn't even attempt to cheer everyone up. However, he still had a nagging thought in the back of his head that was cursing at him for giving up this easily.

No, he couldn't just give up! If he gave up now, then that'd be letting Monokuma win! There was no way in hell they could let him get what he wants. That thing was taking too much enjoyment from this horrible game he was putting them through. He made it back to the Yokai Apartment Complex and rode the elevator up. He made his way down the hallway to the apartments and entered his own. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It'd sure be a lot different tomorrow without them around, but inside he knew that they would get past it. Yes, they would, there was still hope for them all.

**CHAPTER ONE: STREETS OF DESPAIR END**

**SURVIVING STUDENTS: 14**

 


	13. Chapter Two -- A Splash of Hope I

It was dark, Kazuma could tell that much. It would appear that he was outside during the night. It was deathly quiet in the shell of a city they were locked away in. The only noises he could hear were his own breaths and the gentle blowing of the wind. No one was around, he was by himself. Just like that, he found himself moving but he had no intentions of doing so. It was as if his mind was acting against him, doing whatever he didn't want to do. Further and further into the darkness he trekked.

A figure slowly came into view ahead of him. A loud gasp escaped his throat as he recognized the person. They were alerted to his presence by the noise and turned. Yes, there was no doubt who it was. The light blonde hair covering his unseeing eyes gave it away. Kazuma was facing Mamoru Arakawa. But how? The very boy in front of him was dead, murdered by a broken Katashi.

As if the thought of him alone had made him show up, Kazuma was forced to watch as the psychopath stabbed Mamoru. The poor mathematician cried out in pain, falling onto all fours and trying to crawl away. Down came the knife, paralyzing him. The only sounds out of Mamoru's mouth were sharp gasps. Katashi dragged him closer and then with one swift movement, the guitar came crashing down.

"Mamoru!"

Kazuma let out a yell as he jolted awake. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he panted heavily. It had only been a nightmare. As if he didn't already feel betrayed by Katashi, now his own mind was betraying him by forcing him to watch the brutal murder of one of his friends. He let out a groan, laying back down when suddenly the monitor crackled to life.

"Oi! Hey, bastards! Get up, I've got something to tell you all! Get your asses outside!"

Oh, great. The last time he had an announcement to make, their numbers went from 16 to 14. Kazuma wanted to stay in his apartment, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He slowly climbed to his feet, stalking his way out into the hall where the rest of the equally unenthusiastic students were making their way to the elevator.

Just stepping inside the cold, metal cage reminded him of the previous day's events. Of course, this elevator was a lot more elegant and nice, but it still reminded him of the plunge into despair everyone had taken. He shuddered at the thought of ever having to relive that, hoping that the bear had his fun even though he knew that wouldn't be the case.

Kazuma led the group to the doors, a stoic Sumiko and nervous Tenri at his side. Outside, the air was cool on his skin, nicely contrasting the burning sunshine. As he walked forward a few steps, he noticed two things. Monokuma had not arrived yet, and the gate blocking off the next section of the city had been opened.

Just as quickly as he noticed this did Monokuma drop down from above them all. The bear's red eye was glinting in the light and that devilish half-grin was as ominous as always. From the pose the bear was making, Kazuma could tell that he was utterly cartoonish in his flair for dramatic entrances.

"I bet you've already noticed why I've called you out here! Yes, that's right, your prize for succeeding in the trial is more freedom to move throughout the city! Aren't you all just so happy that a nice bear like me rewards you for doing good?"

"I don't care how you reward us, unlockin' a damn gate won't bring our friends back." Sumiko's icy glare was frightening enough to make the bear recoil a step. With her biting words fresh in everyone's minds, she turned and left through the gate.

"Wait--!"

Seeing no one else moving, Kazuma sighed and followed after her. Pushing through the small gap in the gate, he found himself in Despair City's 2nd Ward. There were new buildings all around him. He had lost sight of Sumiko and sighed as he realized she could be in any of the new locations by now. Slowly, the other twelve began streaming in to check out the area.

Kazuma took out his e-Handbook to see just what this new area had in store for them all. The upper-left of the map had a nightclub called Escape. He grit his teeth at the irony of its title. Sighing, he looked to the upper-right. Taking up that space was a large bookstore called Literary Supernova. From how large it appeared on the map, Kazuma definitely figured that it'd be worth checking out. He couldn't help but wonder if any of his own titles had ended up in there, but it was a long shot.

The next location on the map in the lower left was surprisingly a water park. The AquaSplash resort seemed to be a rather big area, filled with different attractions and rides that most water parks have. Kazuma couldn't help but be a little relieved. They all needed something like this, something to just put their minds off of finding someone dead and witnessing an execution. Kazuma decided he'd check out the Escape first.

Wandering over to the doors, he pushed them open and wandered inside. The space was large, stairs descending down into a large pit where people could dance. The place was dark and had a smoky smell to it, the scent in the air presumably being produced by the fog machines that were installed on each side of the room. Blaring in the background was techno music.

As if the club had sensed that someone had walked in, thin neon beams of light sliced through the darkness and began flashing about. Kazuma was grateful for some illumination, just not the possibility of a seizure that the flashing lights brought. He wandered around for a bit when suddenly the door burst open behind him.

In came none other than Misaki, a bursting ball of energy. The daredevil seemed quite pumped about this new area, flashing Kazuma a wicked grin. She began to talk, leaving Kazuma at a loss for words. Honestly, she was getting nowhere. The music in the background was ensuring that no one could hold a conversation, a point which Misaki ignored as she prattled on noiselessly. Giving an exasperated sigh, Kazuma stalked forward and tugged her outside into the open air where they could actually talk to one another.

"Jesus, what were you saying?"

"I was trying to talk to you about how great this new area is! We've even got a water park!"

"Yeah, I saw."

"We absolutely have to go later! We need a quick change of pace to keep everyone happy!"

"I, uh, I get it."

"I mean, we all deserve a bit of a break after yesterday."

"Misaki, yes, I realize this."

"Well, I'm not going to wait any longer. I'll be at the AquaSplash if you need me!"

"R-Right.."

The next spot he had in mind was the Literary Supernova. He trudged over there, letting the warm breeze keep him nice and cool. It was a rather calming day, but honestly it was hard to be too calm after the deaths of his friends. He shook his head the moment those thoughts returned. They all had to move on and keep living for their sake.

The store was in sight rather quickly, Kazuma pushing open the doors. The air immediately got a lot colder once he was inside and he was awed by what he saw. The store was two stories and definitely large. There were rows upon rows of all the different genres. He'd never seen so many books at once, and it was possibly one of the most glorious sights he'd ever seen.

He wandered through the shelves, glancing around at all the titles. He stumbled upon the astronomy section and was not surprised to find Kaede sitting among a pile of books he'd pulled from the shelves. Kazuma found it better not to distract him when he was so intensely into the books.

Deciding he'd further inspect the area later, he turned to leave when he caught a glimpse of someone gracefully leaping from the second floor onto a bookshelf below. The blur of a person was out the door before he could even register who it was. Judging by the fact they left with a few books and didn't pay, as well as the stealthy movements, he could guess it was Sumiko. Well, at least she was still up for stealing. Kazuma sighed, moving off towards the exit and leaving. As he walked out, he realized he hadn't checked for his own titles. Well, now he had two reasons to come back.

He jogged off towards the AquaSplash. He honestly didn't feel like examining the interior at the moment. They could always organize a group get-together, and he'd explore then. He just wanted to get a glimpse of it, just in case. He wanted to see the rides from the exterior, just to get a feel for the area.

Approaching it, he took note of the main attraction. It was a tall, towering water slide that branched off several times. The branching slides weaved around the park before meeting up in the middle where he assumed a large pool was located. He could see the name of the slide from here, the Poseidon. There was a statue of Poseidon beside the door to the AquaSplash, a trident in his hand.

Kazuma examined that statue. It was very well made, looked like marble. He did take notice that the trident was detachable. That was enough to cause a stab of dread in his stomach. This bear seriously had it out for them. He sighed, seeing nothing more he wanted to do at the moment. Glancing around, he stalked off back to the Literary Supernova.

He had free time after all, why not spend it reading?

 


	14. Chapter Two -- Free Time

It felt like time was beginning to return to normal. It had been a couple days since the trial, since the new section of the city was made available to them. It almost felt like they hadn't despaired in the first place. Almost as if they had never bore witness to a senseless killing and an even more senseless execution. It was almost as if they were living normal lives with nothing to worry about. There hadn't even been the slightest mention of the previous events in quite some time. Everything was looking up for a change.

Kazuma had spent some time getting used to the new areas, specifically spending a lot of time hanging out and relaxing in the Literary Supernova. It felt good to just relax with a good novel and spend some time reading to his heart's content. He found it hard to hang out in the Escape very often. When it wasn't blaring techno or dubstep, he heard the songs of a fellow SHSL student. He couldn't remember her name, but he was pretty sure it was along the lines of a K-On! character's name. Some of his classmates enjoyed her songs, but he felt a cold sense of dread when he heard them. They just weren't his cup of tea.

He had not been to the AquaSplash yet, he just hadn't felt like swimming. He felt like he should do something about that, follow that spark of inspiration blooming in the back of his mind. Yeah, there was a good idea there, he would definitely talk to the others about it later. As much as tried thinking about the other two locations, his mind always wandered back to the Literary Supernova. After he had first checked the place out, he went back in to look around for some of his own titles. He had indeed found some. There may not have been an extensive list, but he was at least happy they carried his favorite among everything he'd written. _Discordant,_ the tale of a youth who must deal with the physical and psychological terrors that come with realizing that nothing around him is what it seems anymore. He especially loved writing the ending where it was revealed that the youth had been in a coma and that everything had happened was his brain twisting the circumstances that led to his comatose state into horrible nightmares to plague him.

However, he had decided that he had already spent hours upon hours browsing the shelves and reading through countless titles. Today, he decided to just find a few books that interested him and take them back to his apartment to read later. Or at least, those were his intentions as he walked into the Literary Supernova. He walked through the aisles, not really paying attention until he noticed someone looking through a certain aisle. Kazuma was immediately able to tell who it was, despite not being able to see their face.

“Hey, Noboru.” He greeted, approaching the astronomy section. The other male gave a little gasp and stumbled backwards.

“Ah, hello, Kazuma. I didn't see you there.”

“Sorry 'bout that. I'd ask what brings you here, but I think that's fairly obvious.”

“Y-yeah.. Um, I was just looking through for titles I haven't read yet..”

“I can see why you got the title of Astronomer. You really love stars.”

Kaede gave a little laugh, although it sounded a little forced. The horror novelist wasn't really going to push the conversation any farther than he had to, just in case it made the astronomer uncomfortable. He could see now that the young boy was even forcing a smile. He decided to back down some, give him some room to breathe before suddenly remembering something he'd seen previously.

“Hey, Kaede?”

“Y-yeah?”

“I think you should head on over to the second vendor stall to the right of the FoodPlus,” he stated.

“Why? What's over there?” Kazuma could see that he'd piqued Noboru's curiosity.

“In the first couple of days here, I found a telescope in that stall. I'm not too sure if you have a telescope with you, since Monokuma seems to have confiscated some stuff from us, but it's there if you don't.”

“R-Really?” The boy's eyes lit up with excitement. “Thanks Kazuma! I'm going to go grab it now, if you don't mind. I don't know if you'd be up for it, but if you'd like, us and some others can go stargazing tonight!”

“Sure, I'd be up for that. C'mon, I'll accompany you and we can ask some others if they want to on the way to grab it.”

Kaede nodded his agreement and the two began their exit from the bookstore. As their walk began, Kazuma found that the boy was now a lot more eager to talk. It seemed that the promise of stargazing had really excited him and made him open up a lot more. Conversation was just flowing from Noboru-kun.

“You know, my curiosity is the only reason that I even became an astronomer.” Kaede said. “When I was pretty small, I would always wonder what space was like. My mom had her own telescope, but I don't think she used it very often. During the night, I'd nab it from her room and take it outside to look at the stars instead of sleeping like I was supposed to.”

“That's some dedication.”

“Yeah! The stars are so fascinating!” The Astronomer gushed. “I've gone through every single book in my hometown's library about the topic. That's about where my talent developed, I think. I was so interested that I started my own research and theories, among other things. The other kids at my school called me a nerd for being so dedicated to 'complicated stuff' though..”

“Well, screw 'em. I think it's awesome that you're really committed to your passion like this, and I bet they won't be laughing when they find out you were scouted by Hope's Peak.”

“Hey, Kazuma?”

“Yeah?”

“You're a really good friend, you know?”

“You think so?”

“Of course I do. You've been nothing but friendly to everyone, plus you're the first person who's really taken an interest in my background like this.”

“You're welcome, I guess.” Kazuma rubbed awkwardly at the back of his head, he wasn't really used to being called out on his interest in the backstories of others. It was just a habit of his as an author to be interested.

As they walked, they ran into Emiko and Rei. After the four stopped to talk amongst themselves for a few brief moments, the medium decided she'd accompany Kaede off to get his telescope. Kazuma just sort of awkwardly wandered around with the YouTuber until they found themselves at the gazebo. He decided to hop up and perch on the railing, watching the empty city. It was a nice place, but it was just so lifeless with only fourteen students in it. A sudden break of silence brought him back out of his thoughts.

“I wonder what this place was like before.”

“Huh?”

“You know, before we were brought here. Before Monokuma happened.” Rei elaborated. “It was probably such an energetic place, filled with people heading here and there. Heading to work, out for a daily jog, maybe just out to enjoy life to the fullest. Now it's just a barren place run by a psycho teddy bear whose stuck us into a situation right out of a video game or something.”

Kazuma couldn't deny her points there, he was almost certain he'd thought that same very thing at some point previously. It wasn't very fun to dwell upon what could have happened to desert this city of all its inhabitants. The only things he could think of were disturbing and he quickly disposed of those thoughts. The topic floating in his mind changed, and he decided to hell with it. Next to him was a YouTuber he'd watched countless times before, why wouldn't he ask how she got started?

“Do you mind if I ask-”

“What got me into making videos?”

“Ah, yeah, that.”

“Well, my parents are accountants. They're quite good at it too! However, since they're really committed to the job, I never really saw them that much. Mom tried to work from home when I was really young, but even then she was still more focused on work than me. Somewhere along the line, I picked up gaming as a pastime, to help me kinda get through the loneliness. That's when I fell in love with games! I could put myself into the virtual worlds, worlds where I wasn't ignored and could have all the fun I wanted!” The more that the girl continued, the more she began gushing. “Around the time that YouTube started getting popular was when I found it. I started recording when I played games and uploaded it to my channel, Gamer Rei. It was slow at first, like it is for everyone when they first start out. I was persistent though! I kept recording and posting videos and my viewership began to increase until I was getting millions of views and the number of my subscribers skyrocketed!”

It always brought a smile to Kazuma's face when others began to get excited over what they loved doing. It left him with a satisfactory feeling, not unlike the feeling that came with finishing one of his novels. He sat there upon the railing and relaxed as he intently listened to Rei continue on about what some of her favorite games were and other similar topics. He would occasionally add comments where necessary, and there were times when he talked about his favorite playthroughs she'd done.

“Man, who would've guessed that the modern Poe would watch my videos! I'd say I'm honored!”

“Modern Poe? I, uh, I don't know about that. I'm not sure if I could compare to him. I mean, he was a literary genius!”

“Well, you must be one too if you were scouted by Hope's Peak! They wouldn't have brought you in as the Horror Novelist if your spooky tales weren't good enough!”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Kazuma glanced up at the sky. He noticed that the sun would start going down soon, and suddenly remembered that Monokuma had implemented a new rule a few days before Mamoru's murder. “Oh man, that late already? I still have to get a shower before the water gets cut off at nighttime.”

“Yeah, plus we should be ready for stargazing tonight!” Rei said, turning to head off.

“I'll see you tonight, Rei!” Kazuma replied before turning to head back to the apartments. As he walked, he kept an idea in the back of his head. He was certain that it was a good idea, but he'd wait to bring it up later. It actually surprised him that they all hadn't done it earlier. However this was something that could wait until the small group was stargazing before he brought it up.

“Kazuma!”

“Holy-!” The horror novelist started, whipping to his right to see who called his name.

“Scared you?” Avanna grinned. Well, at least it wasn't the thief sneaking up on him again. “Sorry about that. I was just about to head into the lobby and saw you here.”

“It's fine, just give a little warning next time.”

“So, what are you up to?” The bassist asked.

“Well, I was on my way back to get a quick shower before nighttime started and then I was going to head out and go stargazing with Kaede and a few others.”

“Sounds like fun. I was just gonna grab a coffee and head to bed myself.”

“Don't wanna come with?”

“Nah, I'll pass for right now, I'm pretty tired.”

And so, Kazuma was roped into getting a coffee up in the cafe. As they entered the room, Kazuma was overtaken by the strong scent of the beverage. The two students spent the next few minutes brewing their individual coffees and making small talk while they waited. It didn't take too long before Avanna had her coffee and Kazuma had his. After the two had settled down at a table to drink their coffee, Kazuma started on his while listening intently to the bassist as she began making small talk.

“You know, I'd consider myself lucky to be here with you guys.” She said, then realized what that sounded like. “Not that I mean we're lucky to be in this mess! But I got lucky in being your classmate.”

“Hmm? How so?”

“Well, when I was young, my parents took me to violin lessons. I went to every lesson, but after several years, it just got boring to me. I have nothing against the violin, but the bass was my dream instrument. They argued with me at first, but after a while I talked them into letting me take bass lessons. I practiced and practiced, in fact I was just a little too focused on practicing. I failed a year once because I would practice instead of study! But in the end, I still managed to get myself into Hope's Peak through all my work.”

“Well, that's good, right?”

“Of course it is! My parents had their doubts when I wanted to switch to the bass, but now that I'm the Super High School Level Bassist, I proved to them it was the right choice!”

“That's always nice to hear. It's starting to get close to ten though, so I better go on ahead.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Kazuma!”

He waved to her as he threw away the empty coffee cup and took his leave up a floor to the apartments. Trudging down the hall until he reached his own, Kazuma pushed open the door and entered the room. Checking through his stuff for a black tee and some blue jeans, he headed off and took his shower. Just in time too, because the moment he stepped out and began drying off, the monitor in his apartment crackled to life.

“Good evening, students!” That familiar cartoonish, yet disturbing voice called. “It is now 10:00 PM! Nighttime is in effect. The water supply has been shut off and the doors to the cafe will be locked momentarily. Sweet dreams!”

That voice never ceased to chill him to the bone. It was so... unfitting for something that only existed to bring about despair. Kazuna shuddered, before moving to get ready. He hoped the others wouldn't be too upset with him because he took so long, although it technically wasn't his fault per se. He just got a little caught up in talking to some others. No real harm there right? He decided that he should focus less on his thoughts and more on heading out. He pulled open his door and stepped outside.

Or more fittingly, stepped outside and directly into Tenri Nonaka. Once again, Kazuma found himself knocked to the floor by another student. It seemed that this had become quite a trend among the others--a trend that Kazuma didn't particularly enjoy at all. The harpist immediately moved to help him up, stammering out some apologies.

“O-oh no, I'm such a b-bad friend! I'm terribly s-sorry for knocking you down!”

“It's fine, you're not a bad friend. I promise.”

“O-Okay...” Tenri awkwardly shifted in place.

“So, uh, what exactly were you doing outside my door?”

“I-I was sent here to check up on you. The others s-said that you were taking a long time to show up..”

“Oh, of course. Sorry about that, I kinda got distracted so I took longer than I thought I would.” Kazuma rubbed at a darkened patch of skin, a bruise he had just acquired upon impact with the floor. “Shall we go, then?”

Tenri only nodded, then started walking briskly, arms pressed tight to his chest. Kazuma couldn't help but notice. It seemed that the guy was still incredibly nervous. The horror novelist decided he'd try and get him to open up. Perhaps if he came off as more friendly, the harpist would be less nervous.

“So, what got you here?”

“H-Huh?”

“Like, what's your origin? How'd you end up with your talent?”

“O-Oh. I, um, I'm from a family of musicians. I guess it wasn't really a surprise that I'd be good with instruments t-too.”

“Do you like playing, or were you pressured into it by your family?”

“I w-was a curious kid. There were instruments all around, so I s-started playing of my own volition.” Tenri said. It seemed that the more he talked, he'd stutter less and less. “I p-played all kinds of instruments at first, before I decided to p-pick up the harp when I was nine. I use it the m-most, and it's what I'm known f-for.”

“So, what kind of songs do you perform?”

“U-Usually pieces by other artists. I've written a few of my own songs th-though.”

“Is there, by any chance,” Kazuma started, “you could perform one for us someday?”

“Um, my original p-pieces aren't good though...” Tenri said nervously. “I wouldn't w-want to disgrace you guys with them...”

“Lighten up, Tenri. You're the Super High School Level Harpist, of course they're good!” Kazuma said in an attempt to comfort him. “Besides, if you haven't played them for anyone, then you can't say for sure how others will like it.”

“I s-suppose you're right.” He suddenly seemed a lot less tense, brushing a strand of light blonde hair out of his face. “I th-think I'll play one for you guys then.”

“Great!” Kazuma smiled. “I'm certain we'll enjoy it.”

Now that Tenri had shed some of his timid nature, Kazuma found it a lot less awkward to walk with him. It seemed that they were getting along quite well, occasionally talking about certain things as they made their way over to Serenity Park where Kaede had set the telescope up and gathered a few others. As Kazuma entered the park, he was greeted by the smiling faces of the small group who were ready to stargaze.

Obviously, Kaede was there heading the pack. The younger student was getting the telescope set up and in place. He also made sure to tell the others that he was getting it ready for the star clusters that were farther away that couldn't really be seen that well with just the naked eye. Ami was helping Kaede out with the telescope. She didn't know the stars like he did, but she was able to put it's stand together to keep it from falling over. Laying in the grass, eyes on the sky was Rei. The YouTuber looked plenty peaceful where she was. Placed upon a bench only a few feet away was Emiko. She was in a position similar to that of Rei's, however she was sitting up some.

“Seems like Serenity Park is really living up to its name tonight.” Kazuma commented.

“Ah, Kazuma! Good to see you made it!” Ami said cheerfully, walking away from the telescope. 

“Ran a bit late, almost didn't make it back for a shower in time.”

“Well, now that we've all made it here, let's look skyward!” Kaede said excitedly.

For the next hour or so, the group all simply relaxed there in the park while keeping their eyes on the stars. It was a very peaceful experience, Kaede pointing out different stars and constellations. When someone asked for more information about a certain thing they saw, the astronomer was happy to give them every detail they could possibly want, including some of the mythology that served as a backstory for the stars and constellations. As they watched, Tenri had brought out his small portable harp and began to play some of what Kazuma could only assume was his original songs. They were hauntingly beautiful melodies, and the novelist could tell that he was deserving of his talent.

As time went on, they began chatting as well. They brought up things they liked, things they hated. It was just as if the one thing that had bothered all of them so much, from the motive up to the execution, none of it had ever happened. Or at least, for the moment it hadn't. Right now was just all about relaxation and friendships. Kazuma suddenly sat up some as he remembered the topic he'd wanted to bring up. He'd nearly forgotten it, but he just remembered and was plenty ready to ask the others about it.

“Hey, guys?”

“What is it, Kazuma?” Emiko asked.

“I was thinking about something.” He started. “What if we got everyone together tomorrow and had a party at the AquaSplash at 4?”

“I-I wouldn't object to that.” Tenri replied, setting his portable harp down.

“Yeah, it could be fun.” Rei agreed. “I think we should do it.”

“Ooh! I'll go see if Midoriko is still up!” Ami pitched in. “She's really good at getting word around!”

“It seem we'll be having us a pool party tomorrow, then.” Kaede finalized with a smile.

Kazuma smiled as he laid back down. He knew he had a great idea, and it seemed like the others thought so too. The murder and execution of their friends had happened only a few days ago, still fresh in everyone's minds. They all really needed something to finally help them get over it and move on with their lives, and he thought this could be the perfect start. Around thirty minutes later, the small group disbanded back to their apartments, more hopeful than they'd been so far. In no time flat, Kazuma had drifted off into slumber, blissfully unaware that the monochromatic ursine was scheming once more.

“Upupupu... I've got just the thing for those bastards...”

 


	15. Chapter Two -- Motive

It seemed like forever since he'd had something fun to look forward to when he woke up. An event would be taking place that afternoon! He'd thought of an idea and proposed it at Kaede's stargazing getaway, and the others were all for the idea of a party at the AquaSplash. As was normal on a morning, he was woken by the usual Monokuma announcement. As he slept, the monitor turned on and the bear announced that it was 7:00 AM, followed by a demand for them all to get up as well as some colorful language.

He sat up in his bed, rubbing lightly at his face. Kazuma felt a little off but he was sure it wasn't a problem that breakfast couldn't fix. Rooting through his stuff for a clean change of clothes, he headed out for the diner. Out in the hall, he ran into Rikiya and Israfel. It was apparent from the look of exasperation on Israfel's face that Rikiya was using his talent to imitate the Angel.

“Uh, hi guys.” He said awkwardly as he approached.

“Hey there!” Rikiya said cheerfully, still mimicking Israfel's voice.

“Would it be possible for you to not do that?” Israfel asked. Or more fittingly, begged. Kazuma was starting to wonder just how long these two had been out here like this.

“Wow, okay.” The horror novelist really wasn't sure what to do about this, so he just walked past the two and continued. “Uh, good luck Israfel.”

“I'll need it,” he could just barely hear the Angel mutter.

Chuckling to himself, the Horror Novelist continued his path to the diner. It felt like it'd been a while since he'd actually prepared himself a nice breakfast, and he was sure needing one right now. Later today would be an event to look forward to, so he wanted to start his day out the right way. There seemed to be no further incident as he continued through complex. No one was in the halls to stop him for a chat, there wasn't even a perfectly timed Daredevil to knock him down to the floor again. He hated to admit that he was used to the crazy by now. At least, most of the crazy. There was a certain crazy present in their day to day lives that he could definitely live without. That certain crazy was determined to stay though, judging by a nearby monitor suddenly turning on before Kazuma could even leave.

“May I have your attention please! Would all students please gather at the gazebo right away? It's important!”

Kazuma knew right away what this would be. Monokuma was presenting them with another motive to kill each other. There was usually a limit to how much he could hate something, but this damned bear continued to find ways to fuel the fire. With a grudging sigh, he pushed open the doors and stepped out into the open. The sun beat down on him, bringing a warm air over the city so full of despair that it became the namesake of the location.

Barely a minute or so after he'd stepped out of the apartment complex, Israfel and Rikiya both exited as well. He could tell that they both had the same amount of hesitation he did when it came to approaching the gazebo. He wanted to say no and just head back to his apartment, wait for 4 to roll around, but he feared what punishment the ursine would rain down upon him if he was absent.

“Is this gonna be another motive?” Rikiya asked warily.

“I think it would not be incorrect to assume so,” was the Angel's reply.

“No reason to stall. We should get over there.” Kazuma said before continuing the walk to the gazebo. He couldn't help but wonder what Monokuma had in store for them. Last time it was the threat of killing the ones they loved. What horrible thing could he possibly have planned for them all this time? He didn't even want to think about it, but the thoughts just kept coming. Perhaps he was just thinking too hard. It may not be a motive at all! Maybe it was something positive.

As the three approached the gazebo, they found the other eleven students had already beat them there. Everyone had nervous looks on their faces as they all anticipated the dreadful things to come. Within record time, a black and white stuffed animal made his way into the gazebo. Monokuma waved a greeting.

“Welcome all my innocent little students! Or rather, shall I welcome twelve of my innocent little students? Upupu...”

“Now what the hell are ya talkin' about?” Sumiko asked sharply.

“Oh, nothing. It's not as if I'm going to get to the meaty bits right away!” Monokuma laughed. “You're beary impatient, Akiyama-chan! At least let me monologue a bit!”

“Was that a bear pun?” Kazuma asked flatly.

“It appears he refuses to stop toying with us,” an unamused Kimiko added.

“All of my precious students are standing here before me! Well, most of them. Two are dead, but that's just a technicality.” Monokuma began, completely ignoring everyone. “You're all so great, such wonderful shining beacons of hope! You often make a very adorable bear wonder just how he can make you guys crumble with despair. My first attempt went ignored by you guys, so I've prepared something new for you all. I just know someone will take action from this one! Someone will take action, my twelve innocents...and two traitors.”

Alarm rang through the group of students. Two traitors? Two of their friends were working against them? That just didn't seem possible to Kazuma. He may not have known everyone for very long, but he thought he knew them enough. Who was it? Who were the traitors? However, he also had a more pressing issue on his mind. Monokuma hadn't exactly cleared up one thing in particular yet.

“Hey!” Kazuma spoke up, drawing the bear's attention.

“Yeees?”

“There are two traitors among us, for sure?”

“I can assure you that there are!”

“But that's impossible! Are you purposely trying to make us doubt our friends?” Avanna said fiercely.

“I'm being beary serious!”

“Answer me this, then. To what extent can they be called traitors?” Kazuma asked. “We know there are traitors, but how exactly are they traitors?”

“To put it simply, last night I personally selected two of you to be my traitors! At first I was met with arguments, but then I put up a very good incentive for them. The option to get out of the city! In one week's time, one of the traitors will be chosen to leave the city. The other must stay behind. The objective for you guys is to find out who the traitors are, and off 'em before one can leave you all behind to rot here!”

“Does...Does that really warrant them being called a traitor?” Kimiko questioned.

“Of course it does, you stupid maid! They'd be betraying you by leaving you behind and getting the hell out of here!”

Kazuma wasn't buying it. That didn't seem like reason enough to be called a traitor. If anything it could be helpful to them in the long run. Had the bear really thought it through? Would someone really be stupid enough to kill over a silly motive like that? It wasn't really incentive enough to warrant an attack, let alone a full blown murder. Before anyone could ask another question, Monokuma had disappeared.

“Once again we find ourselves prompted to kill.” Vechs stated. “How shall we react this time around? Would the idea of a party be wise?”

“I'm not sure on that but we'd all be present right?” Misaki asked. “If we're all there, it seems less likely that someone will attempt something stupid especially with such a high risk of being caught.”

“Exactly. I don't think we'd have much to worry about, especially since that motive isn't an effective one.” The Mimic affirmed.

“It would seem the party is a go, then.” Vechs said. “Seeing as we have quite a bit of time beforehand, I'd recommend we part ways for now to prepare. I shall see you all at 4.”

Without another word, Vector made his way back to the apartments. Kazuma did note that they had a bit of free time. He mostly wanted to spend that checking out the AquaSplash to see if there were any swimsuits there and to just get a feel for the layout but he supposed he could talk to anyone who happened to pass him by. He left the crowd of students and made his way towards the second section of the city.

“Excuse me, Minami-san?”

“Huh? Oh, hi Kimiko.”

“Where are you headed?” She asked him, that ever present smile adorning her features.

“I was heading to the AquaSplash. I wanted to check it out real quick, see if it provided swimsuits or not. Plus I haven't really been in the place yet, haven't had a need to.”

“I see. Well, I don't know the answer to the swimsuit question either. Would you mind if I accompanied you?”

“Not at all.”

The pair made their way over to the AquaSplash, before that burning curiosity of his began to rear its ugly head again. Perhaps it was his fascination with character development that made him want to know more about others or perhaps it was just that he had a love of detail, but he desired to know more. However, then he thought of himself as a bad person. His interest came from his love of writing rather than a desire for friendship? He truly was a sad individual.

“Hey Kimiko? What was life like before, you know, we ended up in this mess?”

“I suppose it was quite nice. I was an orphan for some time, but I got adopted. To show my gratitude, I did the cleaning and other such things for my new family. They took a notice to how talented I was and before I knew it, many families desired to have me as their maid.” Kimiko thought for a second, then turned to him. “And you? I'd like to know more about you.”

“Ah, well, there really isn't that much to know.” Kazuma said. “I had a normal life. There was my mom and dad, as well as my brother Ryou and my sister Naoko. Ryou got me into the horror stuff, and I had promised to be Naoko's guardian angel. Stereotypical protective big brother, that's me. Some protector I am, though. Naoko could've been killed by that first motive and there would be nothing I could do to prevent it.”

“It's better to not dwell on that fact. Focus on your future and think positive. Naoko will live to see another day, and I'm sure we'll find a way out so you can see her again and fulfill your promise.”

“Thanks, Kimiko.”

She simply smiled in response and the two continued on to the AquaSplash. Once they reached the water park, the two entered to find that there was a large lobby, and swimsuits were indeed available. He deemed it best to find one in his size to take with him for now, so he'd be prepared once 4 came around, Kimiko doing the same. He was excited and hopeful for the party, but at the same time he couldn't shake the feeling of dread. No, better to brush that feeling to the side. The motive wasn't enough to warrant a murder.

Right?

 


	16. Chapter Two -- A Splash of Hope II

Time flew by a lot faster than he'd expected. In the time since he and Kimiko had inspected the AquaSplash, he'd returned to his apartment to change into the swimsuit as well as wasted some time by getting any new novel ideas he had down in a journal. It proved to be quite effective as the next time he checked his clock, it was already 3:50. He had ten minutes until he was required to be at the AquaSplash, but he decided it was better to get there early than end up being a few minutes late.

Putting his stuff away, he made his way over to the AquaSplash. It seemed the pure anticipation had made the motive slip away from his mind. He got there in record time, only taking about two minutes. Tossing down the bag he brought containing a towel onto a bench in the lobby, he made his way into the park itself. There were several pools, the rippling blue water glinting in the sunlight. Looking around, he noticed several different things about the place. There were different slide attractions, the most intimidating being the Poseidon, the one that was visible from the exterior that branched off several times to cover the entirety of the perimeter. There was a wave pool, and close by it was a diving pool with diving boards of different heights. There were also some comfortable looking chairs here and there where one could tan if they wished to.

Wasting no time, Kazuma dived right into the pool closest to him. The water was rather cold, but he didn't mind. He was enjoying it. Lazily letting himself rise back to the surface, he floated on top of the water for a while before being startled back to reality.

“Hey!” Ami yelled, although she wasn't really angry. “Why didn't you wait until four? You could have at least brought a few of us! Being on your own like that, we could have showed up to find you dead!”

“Ah, s-sorry.” Kazuma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

The others followed Ami into the park area. Kazuma noted that Kimiko, Israfel, Rikiya, Rei and Sumiko were the first to arrive as well as Ami. Given a few more minutes time, Avanna, Emiko, Kaede, Tenri, Vechs, Misaki and Midoriko filed in as well. Now that everyone was present, they could all have fun. A larger chunk took Kazuma's lead, enjoying the pool first. Rikiya, Kaede and Misaki all went off to check out a few of the slides and other things first, though. A few even stayed out rather than getting in the water. Kazuma surfaced, noting that Avanna was among those staying out for the time being.

“Not getting in?”

“I want to enjoy the sun itself right now. If you need me, I'll be in one of the beach chairs.”

Nodding to the bassist, he returned to the water, submerging himself once more. He swam around for a good while, occasionally having to maneuver himself around several others as they moved through the water as well. He didn't even notice how much he'd been enjoying himself, surfacing once to notice that his limbs were exceptionally tired. He carefully pulled himself from the water and wandered a bit.

As he walked, he found himself over at the attraction side. He looked over to the diving boards, figuring he'd see Misaki at the highest one, but she wasn't there much to his surprise. Then he looked just a little higher and noticed something. Up above was one of the branches of the Poseidon, and Misaki had somehow managed to get herself on top of it as well as positioned over the deep diving pool. Noticing Kazuma, she gave him a thumbs up before getting herself into position.

“Misaki, don't-!”

By the time he'd managed to speak, it was already too late. With true grace, Misaki had flung herself forward into a front flip. Her momentum picked up as she plummeted into a more adequate diving position. She hit the water and sliced through it. Everyone else who noticed gave a round of applause and cheered for the completed stunt, but Kazuma waited with bated breath for her to return to the surface. After several moments of waiting, she surfaced directly in front of him. Before he could even notice she had a mouthful of water, she was already spraying him.

“Hehehe, c'mon. I'm the Super High School Level Daredevil! You can't stop me from doing something risky!”

“I get that, but really? Don't you think that was just a bit high?”

“Never too high when you're a daredevil, Kazuma!” Snickering to herself, she swam off as he sighed.

Kazuma watched as she continued to swim around before letting his eyes wander back up to the Poseidon. The prospect of the giant slide was both horrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The novelist was starting to want to go down it. Glancing around, he wondered if he could get others to go try it out with him. He glanced upwards, looking at a nearby clock. 4:30 already? He hadn't even noticed the time fly by. He supposed the one saying was ringing true in this situation. As he pondered about who would go down the slide, he was suddenly grabbed by the ankle and dragged into the water. Flailing about uselessly for a minute, the grip on his ankle relented and he floated back up to the surface.

“What the hell was that?” He gasped out as a smirking Sumiko surfaced.

“C'mon, don't be like that. It was just for fun, ya wuss.”

“Me? A wuss? I write horror novels, you know!” He retorted.

“Alright, how 'bout ya ride the Poseidon then?”

“I'll have you know I was already considering that!” He said defensively. “Figure anyone else wants to try it?”

“What, ya too scared to go alone?”

“I'm not scared!”

“Alright, alright, I'll go see if anyone wants to tag along.” Sumiko responded, pulling herself out of the water and silently walking off.

While she did that, he decided he'd go ahead and make his way to the slide. He passed by Rei as he walked, the YouTuber immediately climbing out of the pool to catch up and join him. He decided that since he had a feeling he knew what she was going to ask him, he'd just go ahead and stop to let her catch up. She approached with her curious look and didn't hesitate in asking him the question he'd been anticipating.

“What are you up to?”

“I'm pretty much being forced into going down the Poseidon by Sumiko to prove I'm not afraid of it. She's off rallying some others to go down it as well.”

“Ah, that makes sense. I was actually kind of curious about the slide myself, so I think I'll join your group if that's alright.”

“I've no reason or want to stop you, go right ahead.”

Giving him a nod of thanks, the two made their way to the large slide attraction that covered the park. Climbing the tall ladder to the top, he began to feel uneasy about it. Perhaps Sumiko was right, maybe he did have a fear. Not of the slide, no, but he distinctively remembered not handling heights very well. Maybe that was why he tried to stop Misaki earlier, out of reflex from his own fear.

Not long after reaching the top, Sumiko came bounding up while being tailed by the group of curious students she'd managed to get together. Coming up directly behind her was the daredevil, followed by the medium and the maid as well as the linguist, astronomer and even the harpist. For some reason, Tenri's presence at the slide surprised him even though the novelist was the one with fear of heights. Maybe it was just the guy's socially awkward demeanor that caused his surprise. Sumiko marched her way over to Kazuma, poking her index finger into his chest. He winced a little but returned her gaze to the best of his abilities.

“Time to prove yerself, Kazuma.”

“Really? I have to go first?” He questioned, his acrophobia kicking in at full force.

“Don't wuss out now!” She said, forcing him over to the slide.

“I'm not wussing out!” He tried to say in his defense.

“Don't worry about it, Kazuma.” Rei said, approaching him. “We all have something that makes us afraid. No one's trying to force you here-”

“'Cept me.” The thief piped up.

“Ahem, no one except Sumiko is trying to force you to do this. Facing your fear is completely optional, but I think you might enjoy it once you're on the slide.”

“Thanks, Rei.”

“It's no problem. Oh, and Kazuma?”

“Yeah?”

The novelist let out a startled yelp as Rei suddenly pushed him into the mouth of the slide, and before he knew it, the water current was pulling him through the tube at a high speed. Trying to keep his screech to a minimum, Kazuma could do nothing but hope for the best as he was propelled through the tube. There were several twists and turns, and on occasions he would have to force his body weight left or right when the slide branched off in different paths.

Somewhere along the line, Kazuma started feeling like his brain was being rattled out of his skull as he kept moving. He wasn't very good with heights, and he wasn't very good with this slide either. Eventually he reached the end of the slide, but he failed to notice that the opening was curved upwards to fling him into the pool. As he hit the sudden ramp, he found himself flying through the air. To everyone who hadn't gone on the slide, he probably looked the exact opposite of majestic as he flapped his arms wildly in an attempt to save himself before he plunged into the pool.

He didn't even try to move afterwards, instead just letting himself float back up to the surface as he rested there in the water. It took a minute or so, enough for two others to make it down as well, but he eventually regained his senses and pulled himself out of the pool. Deciding to look real quick, he noted that the time was now 4:43. Giving a sickly look towards the slide itself, he muttered under his breath.

“Never...again...”

“Sorry about that,” Rei apologized as she joined him. She was just as soaked through as he was, having just made it off the slide herself.

“It's...it's fine.” He managed to get out.

“Ooh, you know, this is the perfect opportunity for a vlog!” She suddenly said. “Everyone's enjoying themselves, it'd be nice to get it on film.”

“Did you bring your camera?” He asked, immediately receiving his answer when the YouTuber's smile faltered into a frown.

“No, I must have left it in my apartment.”

“C'mon, we can go get it.” Kazuma offered. “I'd rather not let you go by yourself. The motive might be a little weak, but it's still not safe to be on your own.”

“Thanks, Kazuma!” Rei replied happily, her smile back.

The pair began to make their way over to the double doors leading into the lobby. As they made their way over, they received a friendly wave from Avanna. The bassist was sitting at the edge of a pool, the previously sunbathing girl now wet. As the two passed her, she slipped into the pool to relax in the water. After returning the wave, Kazuma jogged over to close the gap between him and the doors leading back into the lobby. Grabbing onto the handles, he pushed the doors open.

It was almost as if his heart immediately stopped. He went cold all over as he stopped in his tracks, his mind slowing to a halt as he tried to register the scene before him. It was just so sickening, and Kazuma had been so sure that nothing would happen. He was wrong. He'd been so very wrong. It seemed like what he was seeing before him was his fault. If he'd called off the party, maybe this wouldn't have happened. He only barely noticed Rei approaching him with concern before she too noticed what was so glaringly wrong.

It was at the far end of the lobby, right next to the exit. Suspended from the wall by a trident impaling his neck was the blood splattered body of Vector 'Vechs' Litgen, the Super High School Level Strategic Tactician.

 


	17. Chapter Two -- Deadly Life

He could hear the footsteps as Rei ran to get the others, but Kazuma wasn't processing anything at all. His mind was billowing with questions, ones for which he knew he'd have to work towards getting the answer to. Why? Why did the killing have to start again? Why did Vechs have to die? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by something he had hoped to never hear again.

_Ding dong, ding dong!_

“A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, a Class Trial will be held!”

“N-no! Not again!” Kazuma could faintly hear Tenri's timid voice.

“Aw hell.. Which one o' you did it this time?!” That familiar street voice was undeniably Sumiko.

As he regained his composure, the horror novelist glanced upwards toward everyone as they filed into the lobby. Worry and shock, terror and sadness, those were the expressions adorning everyone's faces. Kazuma couldn't believe that one of them could possibly have done it. There was just no way any of them would do something like this! However, he'd already been proven wrong on this once so he had no choice but to accept it.

“Hellooooo, everyone!”

Kazuma started as the bear's voice suddenly boomed. With a glance upwards, he saw the ursine had bounded through the door and was greeting them with a happy look and tone of voice. If that was the intended feeling, it failed spectacularly and only made the novelist feel worse about their situation. Monokuma seemed to just ignore any bad looks he received and went right on with his topic.

“Let's skip any formalities and get right on down to business! Just like last time, I'm here to provide you with some basic details to help you clueless kids get started! That's right, it's the Monokuma Fiiiile!”

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Monokuma File #2**

Kazuma made his way over to the bags to pull out his eHandbook. He wanted to examine the file first before doing anything else. Pulling it up under the Truth Bullets section, he read it over.  _'The victim this time is Vector Litgen. The corpse was discovered at 4:45 P.M. The cause of death was a stab wound to the throat. The body has also sustained some bruises. His death occurred at 4:40 P.M.'_

“That was only fifteen minutes ago...” Kazuma said quietly to himself. He wasn't sure how just yet, but he knew that the time of death would prove relevant later. Deciding that he'd think more on it later at the trial when he had more time to, he began his investigation.

The first thing on his agenda was to examine the body itself. He'd already taken note of it earlier when he first discovered it, but Vechs was pinned to the wall by the trident stuck through his throat. He couldn't help but wonder who could do such a brutal thing to somebody.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Trident**

Continuing his examination, Kazuma decided to check the pockets of his friend to see if there were any clues he could possibly have had on him. What he found was about what he expected. He pulled out Vechs' eHandbook. The moment the device left his pocket however, it seemed to have pulled out a little card as well. Curious as to what it may be, Kazuma bent down to pick it up. It appeared to be around the same size as a business card, but what it said was far from details on a company.

“ _Vector Litgen_

_You have been chosen as a traitor.”_

“What?!” Kazuma couldn't help but exclaim. His sudden exclamation drew the attention of Rei and Kimiko. The two approached him to see just what the matter was.

“Is everything alright, Kazuma-san?” If he had noticed the formality, he certainly didn't care to correct Kimiko anymore.

“I found this card in his pocket, look what it says.”

“' _You have been chosen as a traitor._ '” Rei read. A small frown crossed her face. “So he's one of the two.”

“I see... that would implicate that Monokuma's motive worked this time.” The maid added.

Kazuma nodded softly. That definitely would imply that the culprit knew Vechs had been one of the selected traitors viable to escape in a week. Unfortunately for them, that didn't really help narrow it down. As he was about to put the card into his pocket, he noticed a torn piece of paper on the floor at Vechs' feet. There was nothing on it but the letter A. Whatever had followed was on the part that had been torn away. He slipped that into his pocket as well, he figured it may be of use later on.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Vechs' Traitor Slip**

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Torn Paper**

Also at his feet, Kazuma noticed, was a hunting knife. There was some blood splattered on it, but nothing to indicate that it had been used on anyone. This piqued his curiosity. What would a hunting knife be doing here if it hadn't been used on the victim? Perhaps this was a question better suited to be answered at the trial.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Hunting Knife**

Kazuma continued his investigation of the body. He remembered the Monokuma File had stated that Vechs was bruised, so he decided to see if he could find them. Carefully going over the body, he found them to be on his leg. This was certainly shaping up to be interesting. There were many questions running through his mind right now. Why was Vechs' leg injured? Did it have something to do with the case? He couldn't really be sure on that at the moment, but he definitely thought it could be useful to remember later.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Injured Leg**

And with that, he had pretty much decided that he had gone over the body enough. It was time to do some investigating elsewhere. He definitely recognized that trident stuck in Vechs' throat, so Kazuma figured he should check just to make sure his assumption was correct. Getting up from his crouching position, he headed over to the door leading out of the AquaSplash. Glancing down, he found the Poseidon statue to have been knocked over and, of course, the trident missing.

 _I understand that the trident is missing, but why has the statue been knocked over?_ Kazuma thought to himself. This was another detail he felt important to discuss at the trial.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Fallen Statue**

There was no discernible reason for this case to spread to any other locations as well, so he knew that his investigation would be limited to the AquaSplash. Going off that logic, he returned to the lobby. Perhaps someone noticed something off? He decided he could ask around, see what others had to say.

Approaching the others, he went around the group. It seemed that no one really did notice anything strange. Or at least, that was the recurring theme among everyone he had spoken to thus far. A whole lot of nothing, and a whole lot of apologizing for not seeing anything from a certain harpist. As he continued asking, he only came up with one thing and that was when he spoke to Kaede.

“Hey, Kaede, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Huh? Oh, um, no. Go ahead.”

“Did you happen to notice anything strange before the murder happened? Anything could help.”

“W-well, I did notice after a while that Vechs had strayed away from everyone. He seemed really tense and fidgety, kinda like he had something troubling on the mind.” Kaede answered.

_Troubling? Hmm, seems like asking around was a good idea after all._

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Kaede's Testimony**

Kazuma only had one other place to check out now that he had the entryway and lobby pretty much covered, and that was the shower room. He knew it should really only be used after getting out of that chlorine-filled water, but he couldn't help but feel like there might be something there. Whether or not it would really help them figure out the culprit was another story.

Walking into the shower room, he examined each stall. For the most part, he found absolutely nothing. However, just when it looked like there was nothing to be found in the room, he reached the stall at the end of the row. All the other stalls were dry, but he noticed right away that this one had been used and was still very wet. Not only that, but he found traces of blood that hadn't been washed down the drain. He sighed softly. _What a clue,_ he thought, _a used shower at a party where everyone was wet._

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Used Shower Stall**

Making his way back out of the shower room, he went back over everything. It was a rather limited area to investigate, not too many clues to find. He really hoped he wasn't overlooking anything or that there was another location secretly tied to this incident to investigate. Just as he was about to comb back over the area for anything he might have missed, the monitor in the room flickered to life.

“Alright you bastards, I'm getting tired of waiting. Head on over to the elevator and let's get this trial started!”

“Kazuma!” Rei said as she approached him. “I think there's something worth noting here.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Well, I think you should keep the time of death in mind. It'll probably help when it comes time to narrow down our suspect list.”

Without saying anything else, she bounded off after everyone as they made their way back to the apartment complex. Kazuma stood there for just a brief moment longer, considering what she had just said to him. Keeping the time of death in mind would help narrow down the suspects? He didn't really have time to think on that since he had to get to the elevator, he'd do as she said and think on it when the proper time came.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: 4:40 P.M.**

He jogged off after everyone else, catching up fairly quickly. With every footfall, they came one step closer to the trial that would determine who got to live another day. With every footfall, he realized that he wasn't entirely sure how all of the evidence he'd obtained would fit together to point out the culprit. They all entered the apartment complex, and not a minute later they were all standing in the elevator. With a metallic groan, they were descending.

In mere moments, the trial to discover Vechs' killer would begin.

 


	18. Chapter Two -- Class Trial

The sharp groaning of metal filled everyone's ears as the elevator began it's descent. It shook heavily on it's way down, rocking Kazuma to his core. He couldn't stop thinking back to what he had seen. They had all been having such a nice time. It was almost as if they had never found Mamoru, or never seen Katashi's execution. Everyone was finally over it. They were moving on, not even Monokuma's motive had been getting to anyone! However, it seemed that that statement wasn't entirely true.

Who could have killed Vechs? Kazuma found it hard to believe that the guy would have let his guard down enough to be murdered. Looking around the elevator at the other twelve faces around him, there was no denying that one of them was responsible for the death of their friend, and he had no choice but to figure out this mystery. Thus, with a grinding halt and the opening of the elevator, the curtain would rise on the second Class Trial.

Everyone filed out of the elevator and made their way to the stands they had previously set up. This time around, the stands that Katashi and Vechs had used now had frames similar to Mamoru's. It was such a crude display, but it's not like he could do anything about it. The only thing he could do at this point was debate until they found the culprit. As if Monokuma had read his mind, he started speaking.

“Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the Class Trial! I'm sure none of you have forgotten,” Monokuma emphasized with his sharp claws, “but here you will debate on all the clues you found during your investigation! Based upon your findings, you are to decide on who among you is the culprit. If you guess correctly, then the culprit gets the ax! Guess wrong however, and it's end of the line for everyone else. Upupupu...”

“I suppose we should not delay then. What topic does everyone think would be appropriate to start with?” Kimiko began.

“This one seems a little obvious, but I don't think we should leaving anything unmentioned just in case. How about we discuss the murder weapon?” Rei stated.

_She's right, that one is quite obvious. But still, she has a point. We need to go over everything!_

“Um, forgive me for saying it, but it's  _hard not to notice_ what the murder weapon is...” Tenri said quietly.

“I'd say I agree, should there really be a  _discussion for this_ ?” Israfel added.

“Hard t'miss it, it was lodged  _in his throat_ !” Sumiko supplied.

**CONSENT!**

**Matching Statement: in his throat**

**Bullet Used: Trident**

“Yeah, it was. It's fairly clear that the murder weapon used here was the trident pinning Vechs to the wall.” Kazuma said, effectively ending the debate...for the most part.

“Hold on a sec!” Rikiya started. “I don't think this topic is done just yet. Isn't there some potential that the murder weapon wasn't the trident? We found a hunting knife at the crime scene, it could be the murder weapon, and then the trident was placed after he was killed!”

“I don't think that's what happened here, Rikiya. What would the culprit gain by falsifying the murder weapon if they left the knife right there in plain sight?”

“Just hear me out, Kazuma. Let's just entertain the thought that  _ the knife could be the _ _ murder weapon _ !”

**CUT!**

**Incorrect Statement: the knife could be the murder weapon**

**Sword Used: Hunting Knife**

**** “Think back to the hunting knife, back to when we found it. Doesn't something strike you as odd about it?” Kazuma began explaining. “Look at the pattern of blood on it. The way it splattered suggests that the blood got on it when Vechs was stabbed by some other object. That's why the murder weapon can only be the trident!”

“I see. Sorry for arguing, then.”

“It's no problem, because that raises a question. If it isn't the murder weapon and there's no point in placing it on scene, then why is the hunting knife there in the first place?”

“You're right, that question has been bothering me.” Rei said.

“Perhaps the culprit was going to use it,” Ami thought aloud, “but then Vechs smacked it away?”

“Have we any evidence that could tell us why it was there?” Emiko asked.

That question got Kazuma thinking. Did they have evidence that could suggest a reason for the hunting knife's presence? If they could explain it's presence, it could possibly help get them one step closer to the culprit. As he thought, he glanced around the room, seeing if anyone else was piecing things together. In a few of them, the gears were turning. He could notice that much.

“I think we have two pieces of evidence that would help, but I'm not sure if you guys will like the explanation they offer.” Midoriko said grimly after reviewing their evidence.

_ Two pieces of evidence that give an explanation? She must be talking about those... _

** PRESENT EVIDENCE: **

**[Fallen Statue]**

**[Injured Leg]**

**** “The only evidence I can assume you're talking about is the Poseidon statue and Vechs' leg. If we are to connect them to the reason the knife is there,” Kazuma continued, “then that can only mean one thing. Vechs himself brought that knife himself and meant to use it!”

“I see... So what you're sayin' is that the reason that statue was knocked over and he's got a nasty bruise on his leg is cuz his woulda-been victim got the upper hand during a struggle. Guess that also covers why he took the trident to the neck!” Sumiko pieced together.

There were a few gasps around the trial grounds. If what Kazuma, Midoriko and Sumiko implied was true, then that meant Vechs intended to become a culprit himself. No one wanted to recognize this as the truth, hell, even Kazuma didn't want to accept it himself. Yet there was still more evidence that could implicate Vechs' intentions and further solidify that this was indeed the truth.

“Vechs was gonna  _ kill someone _ ?” Sumiko exclaimed.

“No way... I don't want to believe it...” Kaede mumbled.

“That, that  _ couldn't have been his intention _ !” Avanna said in disbelief.

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: couldn't have been his intention**

**Bullet Used: Vechs' Traitor Slip**

**** “Unfortunately, I think that was his intention. I found a card in his pocket, one that stated he was one of Monokuma's traitors. He had a fifty-fifty chance of escaping if he wasn't found out by next week.” The novelist explained. “Perhaps he didn't like those odds, so he decided to target someone in an attempt to escape sooner.”

“Why are you making our friend out to be a bad guy? I don't wanna believe that Vechs could try to do something so horrible! He was such a nice person, how could he be capable of trying something so terrible?” The SHSL Linguist started.

“I don't want to believe it either, Ami, but it's the only thing that makes sense right now!”

“I can't believe it... No, I refuse to believe it! How could I possibly believe that he wanted to kill someone while still  _ acting like his regular self _ ?”

** CUT! **

**Incorrect Statement: acting like his regular self**

**Sword Used: Kaede's Testimony**

**** “That's just it though. Vechs wasn't acting like he usually did at all. Ten minutes before his death, Kaede noticed him acting strangely. He had strayed away from the rest of the group and was acting like something was troubling him. It wouldn't be wrong to assume that this is because he was plotting murder!” He affirmed.

Ami fell into silence. Actually, it was more like the entire trial ground had fallen into silence. It was finally sinking in that Vechs was not an innocent victim in this case. It was getting a lot easier for everyone to accept this, since a good amount of their evidence supported the theory. Kazuma knew the hardest part would come next, and that was figuring out who the culprit was that managed to overthrow Vechs' plan.

“Upupupu, things are really starting to heat up!”

“You shut up, bear!” Sumiko growled, effectively silencing Monokuma.

“It's safe to say that the time has come where we should probably work out an idea of who our suspects are,” said Rei.

“Who  _ doesn't have an alibi _ ?” Misaki asked.

“I-I'm not sure about that myself...” Tenri's timid reply sounded.

“Narrowing it down proves to be  _ difficult _ , we were all present at the AquaSplash.” Israfel stated.

“Difficult? No, more like  _ impossible _ to narrow it down!” Rikiya sighed.

** BREAK! **

**Incorrect Statement: impossible**

**Bullet Used: 4:40 P.M.**

**** “You've got that wrong!” Kazuma said, the pieces slowly coming together in his head. “There is a way to narrow it down. Think back to the time of death. He received that fatal blow at 4:40 P.M. Around that time, the majority of us were at the Poseidon slide. If we think about who wasn't at the slide, then they have no alibi for the time and we can suspect them!”

“Well, who was at the slide then?” Misaki questioned.

“If my memory serves me right, the people at the slide were the following: Emiko, Ami, Rei, Misaki, Kimiko, Sumiko, myself, Kaede and Tenri.” Kazuma stated. Right as he said that, it began to click in his mind. Another piece of evidence that he had nearly forgotten about surfaced in his memory, and suddenly the identity of the culprit was very clear. Thinking back on that evidence and comparing it to the list of people with alibis, he had no doubt any more.

** Make An Accusation: Avanna Bunko **

“Hold on... did you do it, Avanna?”

“Huh? M-me?” She stuttered out in reply. “Why me?”

“Yeah, why are you  _ suspecting her _ ?” Emiko asked curiously.

“Do you have  _ evidence to back up this accusation _ ?” Misaki questioned.

** CONSENT! **

**Matching Statement: evidence to back up this accusation**

**Bullet Used: Torn Paper**

**** “I think I do, Misaki.” The horror novelist began. “At Vechs' feet, there was a torn slip of paper. This slip matches Vechs' own traitor card. The majority of the card had been torn away, but the second traitor's identity was not completely removed. From what remains, we know the first letter of their name is an A. That information only matches up with two people here, and Ami was at the slide with us.”

“No... I didn't do it..”

“The evidence says otherwise!”

“I would never kill someone, I promise!”

“Don't make this harder for us, Avanna...”

“Please believe me! I would never do something this horrible!”

“I... I wish I could believe you.”

“ _ Your only evidence _ is the torn sheet though! Unless you have more concrete proof then you have to believe me!”

**BREAK!**

**Incorrect Statement: your only evidence**

**Bullet Used: Used Shower Stall**

“No, I think I noticed something else that points you out as the culprit. Everyone, I want you to think back to our gathering. Pretty much all of us were in the water having fun. But if you remember, Avanna didn't join in. She wanted to do some sunbathing first, to enjoy the nice weather. As a result of this, she was dry for quite some time. When we all got back from going down the Poseidon, Avanna was dripping wet. One of the shower stalls off the lobby was used and had traces off blood that hadn't washed down the drain.”

Avanna's eyes were wide as she realized there was no denying it any longer. She had sufficiently been backed into a corner and knew she had no way of getting herself out of this. Everyone else was silent as the revelation of the culprit came about. Kazuma sighed softly. He hated doing this, but there was no choice. Just to be on the safe side, he felt like they should be positive on this.

“Kazuma? Would you mind going over everything that happened? I want to be sure so we don't vote incorrectly.” Rei requested.

“Okay, this is how it went down. Our case started when Monokuma had thought up his next motive. He had decided to single out two people among us that he would call traitors, one of them being able to leave if they weren't discovered in a week's time. Seeing as the discovery of the traitors played a pivotal role in this case, we can assume that Monokuma approached them both in private. The traitors he chose were Vector Litgen and the culprit of this case. We had previously decided on having a get-together at the AquaSplash before the motive was announced. Despite being given the motive, we chose not to cancel the get-together and still meet at the waterpark at 4. Planning to use the get-together as a means to ensure his escape, Vechs somehow managed to uncover the identity of the second traitor and brought a knife with him to murder that person. After the get-together started and the majority of us went off to the slide, Vechs got the second traitor alone in the lobby. It can be assumed that the time he did this was somewhere between 4:30 and 4:40. Taking out his knife, he went to commit his deed but they were able to slow him down with a kick to the leg long enough to grab the trident and kill him. Our culprit probably thought there wasn't anything they had to clean up other than themselves, since blood splattered on them when they used the trident. They hurried into the shower room and washed the blood off, but didn't notice that some of it didn't go down the drain. Afterwards, they returned to the get-together just in time for everyone on the slide to return, acting like nothing had just happened. The second traitor, the one who was singled out by Vechs... it's you, Avanna.”

“I... I never meant to kill anyone... I'm so sorry...” Avanna managed to get out. She resigned, accepting her own defeat.

“I think it's time to wrap this all up! Please pull the lever at your podiums to submit your votes on who you think the culprit is! Will you get it right, or will you be oh so wrong? Upupu...”

Kazuma didn't want to do it, he didn't want to convict another one of his friends and get them killed. However, he had no choice unless he wanted to be killed himself. All he could do was select Avanna's portrait and pull his lever. As he glanced around at everyone else, it appeared that they were all voting the same. Even Avanna, although he could sense how hesitant she was.

After they had all voted, the slot machine once again rose up and everyone's portraits began to spin again. The first column slowly came to a stop. After the first, the second column repeated the action. In much the same fashion, the third and final column slowed to a halt. All three showed Avanna's portrait. The slot machine began flashing the word GUILTY as coins poured from the machine again. There it was, the very thing he hoped he wouldn't have to do a second time. He and everyone else had just signed up one of their friends for execution once again.

“Upupupupu... Kyahahahaha! You're all correct! The culprit who killed poor Vechs was Avanna Bunko!”

**TRIAL TWO END.**

 


	19. Chapter Two -- A Splash of Hope III

“I... I suppose I should give you all a better explanation of what happened, since you didn't have all of the facts.” Avanna gulped, before continuing. “It's true, I was the other traitor. When you guys left for the slide, he approached me and said he wanted to talk. We went back to the lobby and that's when he asked. He asked if I was one of the traitors. He said he noticed right away that how I reacted to Monokuma's motive seemed odd and that he found my reaction suspicious. I was so stunned that he'd figured me out, that I pulled out my traitor slip without thinking. He went to grab for it but I jerked back and stashed it away in my bag. I guess I didn't notice it ripped. I knew something was up so I went to leave, but he stopped me. He said that only one of us was going to get to leave when the week was up, and that he was going to make sure it was him. I tried telling him that it shouldn't matter who got to leave as long as we brought back help to get you guys out too! He-He just wouldn't listen. He grabbed his knife so I tried to run out the door. He caught me and I tried grabbing onto the statue to pull free, however I only managed to get the trident. After he pulled me back in, I kicked him hard in the leg. I think that must've made him drop his knife. Since he was distracted, I used the trident.”

“Avanna...” Kazuma began, but his words faltered.

“I just wanted to help my friends, but then this happened...”

Beads of sweat were trickling down her face. Avanna was ashamed of herself. Of all people, why did Monokuma have to choose her as a traitor? She had an inkling that she knew why. He knew that one of them would snap and kill the other so they could get out, and of course he was right.

Vechs had snapped. He had thought that since only one can get out, he might as well just kill his competition. Avanna wanted to be the one to get out so she could return with help. Her intentions were a lot better than his, but he just had to try to kill her and ended up turning her into an accidental culprit. It wasn't fair!

"Before you start it..."

If her friends had been looking away, they weren't now. She was gripping her stand tightly, her knuckles white. Her body shook and she raised her head to meet their gazes.

"Even though I killed Vechs," it was obvious that this was taking a lot out of her, "are you all still my friends?"

The trial grounds were silent. Tears were trickling down her face, and it was clear that Monokuma's trap for despair had worked perfectly on her. Kimiko was the one to break the silence. She gave Avanna a reassuring smile.

"Even though you killed someone, it isn't your fault. No matter what you did, you'll always be our friend, Avanna. I promise you this!"

The poor bassist was openly sobbing now, but she had a broken smile on her face. She still felt the despair of her impending execution, but she was calmed by Kimiko's words.

"Thank you.."

"Upupupu... I've had enough waiting!" Monokuma's harsh words cut through the moment. "It's time for the best part! Let's give it everything we've got, it's execution tiiiime!"

The same button from before rose up and the monochromatic bear pulled out his gavel, slamming it down. The screen lit up, showing a pixelated Monokuma approaching and dragging off a pixelated Avanna.

**AVANNA BUNKO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**COMMENCING EXECUTION.**

**\---**

_The Last Concert_

A large stage had been set up. The concert hall was huge, rows and rows of seats filling the area. Slowly, one by one, Monokumas entered and took a seat in the crowd. They were all cheering for the show about to be put on. Up on the balcony, all of the students were forced in so they could have the best view.

Avanna was dragged in, kicking futilely as she tried to escape her shackles. She threw a look back to the stage where a large bass was being lowered. It was plenty larger than her, and she paled as she realized just what was going to happen to her. Her fears were confirmed when an equally huge bow was lowered. She would no longer play an instrument. She'd be the instrument in her final moments.

Finally, the chains attached to her torso and legs reached their destination, slamming her against the strings of the double bass. All of the Monokumas were still cheering, a few more in fancy suits entering the stage and lifting the bow. Her eyes were wide, the dread emanating from her so intense that it was like you could touch it.

The bow was set against her midsection, and she could feel her clothes slice easily under its sharpness. She wasn't ready to die at all. A glance upwards and she saw the looks on her friends' faces. They were all horrified, knowing what they were about to see. What they felt didn't compare to what Avanna felt.

She could hear classical music begin to play and then it started. The bow was slow at first, and she winced as she felt the small cut form on her stomach. The cut was just deep enough to cause a trickle of blood. The Monokumas were only just getting started.

SLICE.

They started to really play their 'instrument', running the bow across her at an increasing pace. Screams erupted from her throat as they ruthlessly cut at her midsection. Whatever song they were trying to play on her must've been a difficult one, the bow was moving across her in intricate motions. Each cut was sending her blood onto the stage, effectively splattering it like bright paint.

Barely any of her friends were able to watch the scene, most were turned away and some were retching. The only comfort that Avanna was allowed in her execution was that Kimiko never looked away. The SHSL Maid kept true to her promise, maintaining eye contact with her while she was executed. She could see the tears in Kimiko's eyes, and it was hard to keep them from her eyes any longer.

But then again, she didn't get to cry very much and was happy enough that she faded away with her vision still clear enough to have a friend be the last thing she saw. Truly, this was her only comfort in death, and she was sure that Kimiko knew just how much this meant to the bassist.

Avanna Bunko was no more.

**\---**

“A-Avanna...” Kimiko faltered, trying very hard not to sob. Once she started crying, she felt like she'd never stop. Her teary gaze turned to Monokuma. “You... You're so cruel... How could you do this?”

“How could I do that? She killed somebody, it's only fair that she be punished for her crime! If she didn't want to be executed then she should never have killed Vechs!”

“She had no choice, you heartless bastard! Vechs was gonna kill her if she didn't do something!” Sumiko yelled.

“I don't care if she did it on purpose, on accident or did it in self defense! It was still a murder, and for that she deserved to be executed!” Monokuma's tone was completely serious, and that creepy half-grin he always wore wasn't helping anything at all. “Trial's over assholes, get the hell out of here!”

Kazuma balled his fists. Avanna didn't deserve that, and that was the one thought on everyone's minds. She didn't deserve that execution, she should still be with them. However, there was nothing any of them could do about it. They could only return to the elevator and wait for it to take them back up to the surface. Once again, their numbers had shrank. After they had all boarded the elevator, those metal doors slowly ground shut. There was the familiar jerking of the elevator started up, the sound of metal groaning and the shaking of the area as they ascended up back into the apartment complex.

No one really wanted to talk or do anything. No one felt like chatting or hanging out. Their day that was supposed to be filled with fun and happiness had become one of horror and despair. The only reason any of them returned to the AquaSplash was to retrieve their bags. Kazuma noted upon arrival that the statue had been stood back up and the trident was returned to Poseidon's grip. Upon entering the lobby, there was no sign that Vechs had ever been there at all. Even Avanna's bag was gone from the pile.

He gave a loud sigh as he retrieved his bag of clothing and towels and trudged back to the apartment complex. Much like everyone else, he just wanted to call it quits for the day even though it was only about six. He just didn't have the energy to keep going. Kazuma rode the elevator up to the apartment level and made his way to his room. He tossed the bag down on the floor and collapsed on his bed.

He just wanted to forget that day had ever happened.

Yeah... forgetting would be nice...

**CHAPTER TWO: A SPLASH OF HOPE END**

**REMAINING STUDENTS: 12**

 


	20. Chapter Three -- Entertain My Despair I

Nothing was the same after that trial. Everyone could laugh it off, pretend it didn't happen. They could imagine that Vechs didn't try his hand at being a culprit only to get a girl who wouldn't hurt a fly executed. It... it was all Kazuma's fault. He suggested the pool party in the first place. Maybe if he'd called it off when they got the motive, they wouldn't have had to deal with another murder and another trial. A thick, grimy feeling roiled within him. It couldn't possibly be described as anything other than despair. He needed a distraction, something that could get his mind off of the events of the previous day. As if on cue, the monitor in his apartment turned on.

"Hey assholes! Guess what? You've got a new area open to you all! Head on through Ward II if you wanna check it out!"

Oh good. They were getting another reward for sentencing their friend to death. Kazuma sighed, standing up. It wasn't as if he could just waste away in his apartment just because he was down. He figured he should at least go check out the new area. Before he could make his way to the door, a knock was heard. Opening the door, he found Tenri standing on the other side. The timid harpist hesitated for a moment, then began speaking.

"H-hey, Kazuma. You looked pretty d-down after yesterday, so I thought we could check o-out the new area?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." He agreed. He didn't intend for it to sound like he didn't really want to, mentally smacking himself for not wording it better. Stepping out into the hall, he let Tenri lead the way. It wasn't that much of a walk to the new ward, just past the Literary Supernova was the newly unblocked Ward III. There were some generic buildings around that weren't really worth noting, but he did see four new unique places that they could visit.

"Hey, what place do you want to look at first, Tenri?"

"How about there?" The harpist responded after a moment, a finger pointed towards a building named the Playwright's Paradise Theater. Based upon the name alone, he could tell that the place was a stage for plays to be performed. The exterior of the building looked elegant, worthy of the name paradise. Kazuma shrugged, following Tenri to the front doors. Gripping onto the metal doorknob, he pushed the double doors open.

Located inside was a huge auditorium. Kazuma was shocked, since the building hadn't looked that big from the outside. There were rows and rows of seats in a curved shape around the stage. Glancing upwards, he noticed that there were even balcony seats. He imagined they had some of the better views you could get. Turning his eyes forward again, he saw the stage. The stage itself was quite large as well, spanning nearly wall to wall. It was carved out of a rich brown wood, neatly shined. Center-stage was none other than Kimiko Harumashi, meticulously cleaning what he presumed must've been a dirty patch on the stage.

"Wow, this place is really big.." Tenri said, voicing thoughts Kazuma had previously had. He couldn't help but chuckle from this. Tenri noticed. "H-huh? Did I say something wrong?"

"Nah, you just said what I was thinking."

"O-oh." Tenri looked down awkwardly before shuffling off to greet Kimiko, who still hadn't noticed their arrival. She was still hard at work on the stage.

"Hey, Kimiko!" Kazuma said after letting Tenri say hello himself. He strode up beside him, leaning on the stage.

"Greetings, Minami-san." She gave him a warm smile, and this time he didn't feel obligated to point out her formalities.

"What're you up to?" He asked, despite already knowing the answer. It was more out of politeness than curiosity.

"I'm polishing the stage!" Kimiko beamed. "I figured that this would be a perfect area for Tenri to perform if he wanted, so I want the stage to look as best as it can!"

"Y-you're cleaning it for me?" Tenri stammered. Kazuma bit his lower lip to hold back a snicker from the poor guy's embarrassment. "..that's v-very nice of you.."

"That's actually a good idea. This would be the ideal venue for Tenri to perform in, assuming you're up to it?"

"Of course! I-I'm always ready to perform, especially for friends." The harpist smiled weakly at Kazuma, then turned to Kimiko. "I guess we'll leave you to your work then, if that's okay."

"It's alright, Nonaka-san. Don't worry about it!" She responded.

With that, Kazuma and Tenri turned to leave. Trudging out of the theater, the novelist decided to lead them over to the next building that seemed to be worth noting. It had a large neon sign, making sure it was noticeable. What he detested most about the building was that it's logo contained Monokuma's face. It was the MonoMeds Pharmacy. Despite not liking the sound of the place, he entered regardless.

Keeping true to it's name, the place was just a large store with aisles and aisles of different medicines. They ranged from your traditional over-the-counter things, to stuff like morphine and other stuff that he had no chance in hell of pronouncing correctly. Despite knowing that he should have been, it didn't surprise him at all to find that the counter had several manuals that listed each medicine and what dosage would be fatal to the average male and average female.

"That's horrible.." Tenri said quietly, a comment that Kazuma could only nod in agreement to.

"Horrible? Show some respect, I spent quite a while figuring all that out!" The voice that could only belong to a certain annoying bear yelled from behind them. "Good bears like me never get the respect they deserve for their hard work!"

"Oh, shut the hell up already." Kazuma said exasperatedly. "You've been here less than a minute and you're already giving me a migraine."

"Ow.." Monokuma responded, clutching his chest. "It hurts when you're mean to me, Kazuma."

"Hey, someone ribbing on the douchebear without me?" A familiar street accent sounded from the doorway as Sumiko made her entrance.

"Oh good, my favorite buzzkill.." Monokuma groaned. "Seriously, you were like my top pick to commit murder and your hands are still clean! Kill someone already!"

"Why are you still here?" Kazuma questioned the monochromatic bear. "Really, go bug someone else."

The bear in question continued to grumble and disappeared out the door, stepping around Sumiko and someone else Kazuma hadn't noticed earlier. The always excitable Ami stepped around the thief and bounded into the room. She glanced around the area, her smile fading a bit as she noticed the books dedicated to describing lethal doses.

"That bear..." She said softly, bearing the same expression that everyone else had been. One of pure hatred towards the half-black, half-white ursine. "He seriously needs to find some hobby that's not dangerous and murder-y."

After saying that, Ami disappeared down one of the aisles, probably looking to see what types of meds this place had out of curiosity. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been thinking of doing the same thing. Out of the corner of his eye, Kazuma noticed the uncomfortable Tenri inching his way towards the door. Nodding to Sumiko who was still in the lobby, he followed after the harpist.

"Everything alright?" He asked as he caught up to him.

"Yeah.. I just wanted to get out of there after Monokuma showed up." Tenri responded quietly. "Shall we check out the next location?"

Kazuma nodded and they went off to the next building that was worth checking out in their opinion. What he found was a small one-story building. It didn't seem to stick out at first, but would probably draw interest if one read the name of the place. Up above the doors was plain, all-caps text that read TANOSHII ARCADE. From outside, he could hear the noises of arcade machines going off. Sounded like someone was deep in a game from the excited shouts he could hear. Pushing open the door, he was greeted with quite a scene.

Rikiya was standing at a two-player arcade cabinet, mashing furiously at the buttons and yanking the joystick around wildly. Next to him, playing a lot more calmly, was Kaede. The one shouting and making all the noise, he came to find, was Misaki. The daredevil was standing on Kaede's side, cheering him on. Sitting on a stool directly behind both boys was Midoriko. She had eagle eyes on what each of them were doing, while simultaneously scribbling notes down in her journal without even looking down at it.

"...What the hot mess of fresh hell have I walked in on?"

"Kaede challenged Rikiya to a game. Rikiya started off strong but his strategy is starting to fail him, meanwhile Noboru is doing quite splendidly without fail." Midoriko said the moment Kazuma posed his question, almost as if she had anticipated the question despite appearing to have not noticed his and Tenri's presence at all. It kind of scared him just how observant she was.

"Y'know, all you had to say was that Kaede's kicking the mimic's ass!" Misaki cheered.

"I much prefer the way I worded it," started Midoriko, "seeing as it's a more eloquent way of putting it."

Misaki simply shrugged in response, going back to watching Kaede. Compared to the spastic and erratic button mashing that Rikiya was displaying, the young astronomer was a lot more composed with his movements. His fingers fluidly danced across the buttons while he elegantly guided the joystick around in the directions it needed to go. It seemed like he was a natural at...whatever game they were playing. Kazuma couldn't identify it, it seemed like a mashup of several different games that should never cross paths. Walking over to inspect it in an attempt to understand it better, he just found himself even more confused.

"Alright, well, you guys have fun with that." He turned to face Tenri so they could leave, but only found that the harpist already left. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he dashed out in an attempt to find him.

He was greeted by the sight of the only other interesting looking building in the new ward upon exiting the arcade. Just across the street was a store called Media Mania. Intrigued by it, he jogged over to check it out. Upon arriving, he found himself staring at a store that was basically the Literary Supernova of other media types. There were shelves upon shelves of DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs, console games, consoles, DVD/VHS players, even projectors if you wanted to have a movie night.

Inside, he could see Israfel browsing idly. Off to the side, Emiko was in the CD section, having acquired a CD player to listen to an album she'd found. Not too far from her was Tenri, also looking through the CDs. If he glanced far enough back, Kazuma could see Rei huddled around the gaming consoles, having apparently found a title she found interesting. She was leaning against the wall, eyes trained on the handheld system in her grip.

Making his way into the store, he moved towards the projectors and stuff, giving them a once-over. Israfel's curious eye turned in Kazuma's direction. The SHSL Angel was soon over at Kazuma's side, staring down at the projectors as well. He seemed to understand the thought processes going through the novelist's mind as he spoke up.

"Thinking of a movie night?"

"Yeah, could be fun. It'd be a nice distraction from everything that's happened, plus this place seems to have a whole ton of fun movies." Kazuma failed to mention that he noticed some of the film adaptations of his novels. He didn't want to seem prideful.

"I see. It certainly sounds like it'd be good for us. We could do with having something go right for once."

"Yeah, we could." Kazuma said with a nod.

With that, Israfel turned to leave. Kazuma continued to stare at the projectors for a moment, before giving Rei and Emiko a friendly greeting. Seeing no reason to stick around any longer, the horror novelist headed towards the door himself. As he made his way to the diner, he pondered over the thoughts in his mind. A gathering going correctly would do them some good. Maybe sometime soon, he'd have everyone get together to set up one of the projectors somewhere.

Perhaps things would actually go right this time.


	21. Chapter Three -- Free Time

_Ding-dong, ding-dong!_

“Good morning, assholes! Time to get out of bed, it's seven o'clock!”

Kazuma groaned loudly. It was always the moment he really started getting into his dreams when the morning announcement went off. A bit unhappily, he sat up in bed, limply tossing his pillow at the monitor as it shut off. It wasn't that he hated mornings, he just hated that they interrupted his nice dreams. He was finally over the nightmares of previous events, which always managed to play out without interruption by the morning announcement.

“...I really hate that bear.”

Shrugging himself into a clean outfit, he freshened up a bit in the bathroom before facing the day. Despite knowing that crazy never let up around these parts, it still managed to surprise him when he found himself already being badgered when he exited his apartment.

“Hey, Kazuma.”

“Jesus!--” he started, “how the hell do you not make any noise? Seriously, Sumiko, that's a skill you need to use less.”

“Telling a thief not to be sneaky is like telling Monokuma to stop loving despair.” She responded bluntly. “It ain't happening.”

“At least give a guy a warning first!” Kazuma grumbled, rubbing at an eye as he makes his way to the cafe.

“Aw, but where's the fun in that?” Sumiko grinned, following after him. “If it makes ya feel any better, I'll say sorry.”

Kazuma didn't say anything, he just kept shuffling along. He might not hate mornings, but he sure wasn't a morning person at all. Sumiko somehow managed to miss this fact, just continuing to follow behind him. He clambered into the elevator, noticing that Sumiko didn't enter with him. Riding down to the second floor, he rubbed his eyes again. He really needed a pick-me-up to keep him going. The doors slid open for the second floor, and Sumiko was waiting for him on the other side. Kazuma was silent for the longest of moments before speaking.

“How did you do that?”

“Took a page out of Misaki's book, swung onto this floor's balcony from the one upstairs.”

“...of course you did.” He sighed, stepping off and making his way to the cafe doors. “That shouldn't surprise me as much as it does.”

“Someone's grumpy this morning.”

“Someone was having a good dream when the bear's announcement went off.”

“Ooh?” Sumiko intoned. “What were ya dreamin' about?”

“Home.” Kazuma said simply, grabbing an empty cup to fill with coffee. He made sure it was tailored to suit his tastes before taking a sip.

“Ah.” That was all Sumiko had to offer in response. “I see.”

“Sometimes I wonder what's happening in the world. If my family knows I've gone missing.” Kazuma said. “Does my little sister know I've disappeared? Is Ryou treating her okay?”

“That first motive's makin' you suspicious too, huh?”

“Yeah,” he responded quietly. “I guess it just makes me anxious because I know that if the first motive was killing our family and friends, then that means Monokuma could have got his paws on her and my brother.”

“I've been wonderin' the same thing.” Sumiko said. “I swear I'll kick that plushie's ass if he did anything to Shiori or Saika.”

“Those are your sisters, right?” Kazuma asked. He was pretty sure she had mentioned them to him before.

“Yeah, Shiori's the oldest, then Saika, then me.”

“Anyone else from your family you think would have been part of that motive?”

“Maybe my little brother Shouta. We don't get along very well, but we still love each other.”

“What about your parents?” Kazuma himself had been majorly avoiding the topic of why he didn't think his own parents had been part of the first motive, but he was curious about why Sumiko hadn't mentioned hers.

“My old man? Couldn't care less about him.” She said bluntly. “He knows I hate him, and I know that he thinks I'm a failure. As for my mom...”

Kazuma seemed to notice her pause. He could see Sumiko's expression darkening, which could only be due to bad memories resurfacing. He didn't want to pressure her into speaking, but he was curious. Being silent, he simply waited for her to tell him on her own time. She gazed out the window before turning back to him. Giving him one long look, she finally spoke.

“It was around Christmas. She was out shoppin', gettin' her kids the presents they wanted. We were all loungin' about at home with nothing really to do. We knew what she was up to and we knew she wouldn't be too long. At least, that's what we thought, until she didn't come home.” Sumiko paused again, almost like she was working up the courage to keep going. “We found her body two months later. After that happened, all of us younger kids turned to Shiori to be our mother figure. Shiori, Saika, Shouta, they all started showin' signs of having talent not too long after. My dad kept pushin' me to find my talent, but he gave up after a while and called me a failure. That's why I ran away when I was 13.”

“Wow. That's a lot to deal with when you're young.” Kazuma then silently urged her to finish her story.

“Livin' out on the streets wasn't very fun at first. I did come across someone who was used to thieving though. Old man Ryou, he took me under his wing. He taught me everything I know. Meetin' him is what got me to Hope's Peak.”

“Heh, so it looks like we both know a Ryou who helped us find our talents.” Kazuma said, slightly amused by that outcome.

“Yeah, you're right.” She said, grinning. “Well, hey, it was fun chattin', but I'm gonna head off to Ward III for a bit.”

Kazuma waved as she headed out the door of the cafe. Taking a sip from his coffee, he decided to head out and get some breakfast at the diner. Taking a few minutes to get to the Divine Diner from the apartment complex, he wasn't surprised at all to find Israfel preparing some food for everyone who was hungry. He was busy at work cooking. The novelist strode over and took a seat at the counter.

“Hey, Israfel.”

The boy in question glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, hello, Kazuma. Would you like some breakfast as well?”

“Please. What're you cooking?”

“I'm preparing some tamagoyaki and miso soup.”

Kazuma nodded appreciatively, watching as the Angel cooked up some food. He noticed how Israfel had to grab some more eggs so he could have a plate, making the novelist feel a little bad that he was increasing the workload for him. Deciding that he might as well since he was there, Kazuma figured he may as well strike up some conversation.

“Hey, Israfel?” Kazuma started. “I can't help but be interested. Can you tell me more about your talent?”

“Sure thing.” Israfel said, his eyes still trained on the food he was preparing. “As I've already told you, I get my talent from being compassionate towards other people. It's just in my nature to act as a healing factor in other people's lives, even back when I was a kid. When I was six, I would go out to retirement homes and sing Christmas carols to the elderly. Not even being bullied in middle school stopped me from being polite and helping others.”

“What about your parents? You do nice things for them?”

“Of course! I wouldn't be that good of a son if I didn't.” Israfel stated in response. “Though they were always busy and out of the house. I got by just fine, either way.”

“That's good to hear.” Kazuma said. While it wasn't much better because of the bullying, Israfel still had the least damaging backstory he'd heard from any of his classmates thus far.

“Mind taking this over to Midoriko?” Israfel asked, setting down a plate of tamagoyaki and a bowl of miso soup on the counter.

“Nah, it's no trouble.” Kazuma responded, getting up to deliver the food. Israfel flashed him a thankful look before turning back around to finish preparing Kazuma's own plate of tamagoyaki. Carrying the two dishes, he walked over to the booth where the Gossiper was located, setting them down in front of her. He noticed something was off right away. She wasn't making notes, she was just staring down at a blank sheet of notebook paper with a blank look on her face.

“Something wrong?” He asked her.

“It's just, my whole talent revolves around getting the juicy details on people. Here, I've got nothing aside from the occasional get-together.” She said, dropping her pen onto the notebook.

“What was it like before?” Kazuma questioned. “Y'know, when you got your talent.”

“I was at an all-girls school.” Midoriko responded, glancing up at him. “You can just imagine all the stuff I found out about there. It really helped hone my skills. Pretty soon, I found myself going from having petty information like who was doing stuff behind the teacher's backs to really sensitive information about people. Like, image-ruining sensitive. I was getting paid to dish out info, I was getting paid to keep secrets, it was a wild time.”

“I can imagine,” was the only response from the stunned novelist. He knew she would have to be good if Hope's Peak noticed her, but he didn't think she'd be one to get her hands on that kind of information about other people.

“So, got anything you want to tell me?” She asked with a grin, only joking.

“I, uh, I'll pass on that.” Kazuma said, quickly turning to go get his own breakfast. He made a mental note not to say any personal things around her any time soon. Or at all for that matter. When he returned to the counter, he found that Israfel had already set out his breakfast and had left. Shrugging, he sat and began eating. It didn't surprise him that it tasted good. Israfel probably took time to develop some cooking skills to provide for hungry people. After quickly finishing the tamagoyaki and soup, he suddenly found his attention trained on the wall of the diner, where the monitor was crackling to life.

“Hey, bastards! Meet me at the gazebo, stat! We've got something important to discuss, upupu...”

Kazuma felt a cold feeling of dread wash over him. Was it already motive time again? He sighed softly. He knew it was no use not going, the bear would probably punish him if he didn't. Standing up, he exchanged nervous glances with Midoriko as they headed to find out what Monokuma could possibly have in store for them this time.

 


	22. Chapter Three -- Motive

Kazuma was far from excited right now. Monokuma had called for them all to gather at the gazebo once more. That could only mean one thing, and that was that he had another motive for them to kill each other. It was making him uneasy for the entire walk. He pushed open the door to the diner and exited, immediately being hit by a cool breeze. Where it would on a normal day, right now the relaxing breeze was doing nothing to calm his fears.

He noticed the others were arriving as well, some of them arriving from the new ward that had been opened to them. After he had reached the gazebo along with Midoriko, who had tagged along from the diner, he counted everyone else's arrival in order. Israfel, Rikiya, Kimiko, Sumiko, Tenri, Rei, Emiko, Ami, Misaki and finally Kaede. From the astronomy book he was holding, Kazuma could only guess he had taken so long due to being somewhere in the depths of the Literary Supernova.

Kazuma then turned his attention towards the gazebo itself and noticed one thing that stood out in particular. There was a large HD screen set up on it. He could only wonder what horrible things the bear would show them before Monokuma jumped out from behind the screen. He would've reeled back in shock if he weren't used to the bear popping out of random places.

“Hello, students!” He said cheerily. “I bet you are all wondering just why I've called you here!”

“No, we're really not.” Misaki said flatly. “You're gonna give us another motive, right?”

“Damn, she figured me out!” Monokuma wailed. “And I thought I was being super secretive about it!”

“Would ya just shut up and get to the damn point?!” Sumiko growled impatiently.

“Jeez, I'm getting there!” Monokuma growled back. Kazuma tried to hold back a sigh, he wasn't in the mood for a shouting match between human and robotic bear today. “Anyway, yes, Misaki is correct. I've prepared another lovely motive for you all to despair over! You're probably wondering how things are back home right?”

The screen flickered to life and they all watched as photos of bustling cities and housing districts were shown. He failed to see how this would make them despair just yet, but he had a bad feeling about this. As if right on cue, Monokuma did that odd laugh of his while pulling out a remote and pressing a button. The moment the button was pressed, the images changed to horrific new images. What he now saw on the screen was pictures of cities in ruins, buildings burning down, rioters wearing Monokuma masks abusing and killing other civilians.

“What the hell?!” The words spilled forth from Rikiya's mouth.

“N-no way..” Tenri managed to get out.

“Yup! This is what the world is like right now! Everyone outside of these walls are despairing and killing each other. It's been this way for a while now!”

“That just ain't fuckin' possible!” Sumiko yelled. “The world was just goddamn fine when I left for Hope's Peak!”

“Y-Yeah, it was.” Kimiko pitched in. “How could things have gotten so horrible in such a short amount of time?”

“Not telling!” Monokuma responded, laughing again. “That's a secret for me to know, and you all to find out later! Now then, just so you realize that this isn't fake, let's continue our slideshow!”

The pictures continued to scroll, showing more of the horrible things happening out in the world around them. He saw pictures of major cities like Tokyo in ruins, feeling a bead of sweat form on his forehead. Just what the hell had happened out there? He wasn't really feeling that anxious until the very next photo, where his heart sank. Kazuma fell to his knees, eyes fixed on the screen. There was no way what he was seeing could be real. And yet, there it was being displayed for him.

“No...” He managed to choke out as he saw the photo of a rioter pointing a gun at his brother. “No, no, NO!”

“Kazuma..?” Ami started, looking away from the screen at the fallen novelist. “Is everything alright?”

“Th-that's...that's my brother.” He said. His voice had never sounded weaker, more defeated. “That's my brother...”

“Oops, did I accidentally slip that one in?” Monokuma asked innocently.

“You fuckin' bear..” Sumiko asked angrily. “What kind of messed up do ya have to be to fuck with people like this?!”

She started towards the gazebo, clenching her fists. Monokuma made a noise of intrigue, wondering what she was about to do. Everyone could sense that she was probably going to get violent. That's when Tenri called from the back of the group for someone to stop her, to which Rikiya and Israfel immediately complied. It was a struggle for the two, but they managed to placate her as Monokuma panted.

“Huff...huff...I haven't felt such fear for my safety in ages!”

“What were you thinking?” Emiko chastised. “You could have gotten yourself killed! It's against the rules to be violent towards Monokuma.”

“Look what he did to Kazuma!” She shot back. “He already had enough on his plate to worry about without having to see that!”

“I agree it was in poor taste, but you shouldn't go getting yourself killed over that.” Kaede stated in response. “It's just not worth it.”

“Yeah. We don't need to lose anyone else,” was Rei's comment on the matter.

“Seems like my work here is done, upupu.” Monokuma then disappeared, although everyone was too worried to care.

After that, Sumiko calmed down a bit and got everyone to help her get Kazuma back into the diner. Everyone began sitting down, a solemn feeling drenching the room in it's entirety. No one really knew what to say anymore. Not only was the world outside in ruins, but the one person who would normally try figuring something out to cheer them up had probably been hit the hardest by this motive. The novelist wasn't even talking at this point, he was just eerily quiet, staring down at the table. Sumiko wasn't sure just how they could bring him back to his regular self.

“I-I think we all need something to distract us f-from this one..” Tenri said quietly.

“I got it!” Sumiko said as an idea popped into her head. “Why don't we all just do somethin' at the theater?”

“Like what?” Rei asked.

“I don't fuckin' know, maybe Tenri could play somethin' for us.”

“I-I guess I could do t-that.” He responded meekly.

“Perhaps we could have a movie night?” Emiko suggested. “There was a projector in the media store.”

“Maybe that could pull Kazuma out of his funk..” Ami said, casting a worried glance to the novelist.

“Well, it's worth a shot.” Kimiko said, putting her own two cents in.

Sumiko nodded, deciding that the sooner they got this rolling, the sooner that they would all be feeling better. It would be for the better if they got their friend back to normal as quickly as they could. She was worried that if he stayed like this, someone would end up dead and he'd be the next one to get executed. The thief would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening. She gave the word, and everyone headed out to get things ready.

She had Kimiko escort Kazuma back to his apartment while she took Misaki, Kaede and Emiko off to the Media Mania to grab the DVDs, the DVD player and projector to set them all up at the theater. She stopped after entering the store, glancing at the shelf of DVDs before a sudden thought came to her head. Sumiko cursed under her breath as she realized something. Emiko turned, having heard her.

“Something wrong?”

“We forgot to ask what kinda movies everyone likes.” Sumiko stated.

“Huh, I guess we should just pick a few things that seem like they'd fit everyone's tastes. If we do that, then we should be fine.” Kaede piped up.

“Hey!” Misaki exclaimed from a few rows down. “I think I found something we should all watch!”

“What is it?” Emiko asked.

“It's a movie of one of Kazuma's books!” She said, holding up a DVD copy of _Discordant._ “Maybe this will help some!”

“Whoa, really?” Sumiko asked incredulously. She couldn't help but go over and check it out. On the back of the DVD was one of those review quotes, a quote from Kazuma himself giving praise on the director for the film. She didn't really recognize the director's name, some chick named Karin, but it was still cool. Shrugging, she decided that they'd watch it. Heading over a row, she began looking through for other titles, occasionally checking with the other three to get their thoughts on a movie. Within no time, they had five DVDs selected for their movie night.

“Alright, someone get the projector, DVD player and all the cords and we'll lug 'em over to the theater.” The thief announced.

Within the next twenty minutes, they had got all the items over to the Playwright's Paradise Theater and were setting them up. It was a mess trying to figure out what cords went where but they eventually figured it out and got everything in working order. She turned to give a grin to the three who had helped her with everything.

“Thanks guys. We'll be havin' fun again in no time!” She cheered, earning a hearty cry of excitement from the daredevil.

After that, they went their separate way to waste the rest of their morning. Sumiko didn't really know how she should spend the next few hours. It was kind of difficult to figure that out when the constant thought of whether or not everyone would be okay was present in her mind. Not only that, but she couldn't help but wonder how Kazuma would fare. She remembered the talk they had not that long ago, the one where he was talking about his sister and brother. He had mentioned that he hoped his brother was taking care of his little sister, but as that photo had shown, that wasn't a possibility anymore. Sumiko didn't know if a movie night would be enough to put his worries on the backburner.

What would they all do if someone acted on the motive and committed murder? For the previous trials, he was like their backbone. While everyone else could piece things together, it was always him to figure out the culprit and save them all from certain death. If another death occurred, she didn't know what would happen to everyone since he was, for all intents and purposes, out of commission. No, they couldn't let that happen again. The movie night and Tenri's performance were what they would use to try and get everyone back in high spirits so that it wouldn't happen again.

Sumiko could only hope that what they had planned would be enough to prevent a murder.

 


	23. Chapter Three -- Entertain My Despair II

Several hours had passed since the motive. They had all learned what the outside world was like right now. If anything, they were lucky. They had an untouched city to live in, meanwhile everyone else had but ruins to live in. If that was anything to go by, normally that would crush their desire to get out. However, there was still a glimmer of hope within the hopeful students. No matter what the outside was like, it was better than being forced to kill each other and run the risk of execution.

Sumiko sighed. In the hours since they saw those photos, Kazuma hadn't shown any signs of improving his condition. The time was getting closer and closer to head over to the theater so they could start, and he was still just as silent as he was before. Those blank eyes were rather creepy, she had to admit. If what they had planned didn't work, she didn't know what the hell to do. Kicking a pebble by her foot, she saw Tenri walking towards the third ward.

“Oh, hey.” Sumiko said.

“H-Hi, Sumiko.” The harpist responded.

“Got yer harp ready?”

“Y-Yeah. I'm heading over now, s-since it's about time for everyone to meet there.”

“Alright,” was her response. “I'll go grab the others, I guess.”

Tenri nodded and continued on his way, letting Sumiko turn and walk over towards the apartments. As she entered the door, she saw Rikiya and Israfel chatting in the lobby. She gave them a nod, motioning towards the door. Picking up on the hint, the two got up and left the building. Glancing up, she saw Misaki relaxing on the railing of the second floor. Deciding it'd be easier than making the stop herself, the thief called up to her.

“Oi, Misaki!”

“Huh?” The daredevil let out, turning awkwardly so she could see who was below. “Oh, hey.”

“Anyone up there with you, maybe in the cafe?”

“Yeah, Midoriko and a few others.”

“Get them, it's time to go over to the theater.”

“Will do!” And with that, Misaki hopped off of where she had been sitting and disappeared out of Sumiko's sight.

Continuing on, Sumiko made her way to the elevator, hitting the button to the third floor. Upon stepping out, she found someone waiting in the apartment hallway. Kimiko was sitting on the floor by the entrance to Kazuma's apartment. She had propped herself up against the wall and was reading a book, completely entranced in it. Sumiko wandered over, the maid finally noticing her presence and smiling up at her.

“Hi there, Akiyama-san.” She greeted warmly.

“Hey. Whatcha reading?”

“Oh, it's one of Minami-san's books. It's actually quite good.”

“Well, I figured, since he's a Hope's Peak student like the rest of us.” Sumiko responded, earning a soft laugh from the maid.

“That's not how I meant it.” Kimiko said. She seemed to go into thought for a moment, before returning her gaze to Sumiko. “Is it time to head over to the theater?”

“Yeah, that's why I showed up.”

Kimiko nodded, then stood up. She knocked lightly on the door to Kazuma's apartment. Some rustling sounds were heard before the door slowly creaked open. It wouldn't have been that creepy to Sumiko if Kazuma had actually been by the door, but when it opened, he was sitting on the edge of his bed. Shoving the thought of how he managed to open the door aside, she watched as Kimiko got him out of his room.

“Ready?” Sumiko asked, but wasn't really surprised when she didn't get a response.

Kimiko began to lead Kazuma down to the elevator, one hand on the silent boy's shoulder. Sumiko just kind of awkwardly followed behind. It was certainly not the most comfortable of walks, considering she found it a little unnecessary to lead the novelist all the way to the theater when he could clearly walk himself, but she kept quiet. When they got there, everyone else had taken seats, aside from the awkward Tenri up on the stage. A few, like Ami and Kaede, turned to greet them as they entered.

Kimiko guided Kazuma to a seat, meanwhile Sumiko sat herself down a row ahead, between Israfel and Rei. After sitting down, those thoughts resurfaced in her mind. They were finally here in the theater, ready to get their night of relaxation moving. Would any of this help repress some of Kazuma's despair, bring him back to normal? It was about time they found out if it would work.

“C-Can I start now?” Tenri asked.

“Yes, please,” was Kimiko's response.

Nodding softly, Tenri shifted a bit before he balanced his portable harp in his lap. He brought his fingers towards the string and kept still for one tense moment. And then his fingers danced across the strings in fluid movements, a lovely melody bursting forth from the small instrument and filling the room. If they hadn't been aware of his abilities beforehand, they certainly were now. The way he played was almost like magic, the notes of the song dancing their way from the harp to everyone's ears. It was an elegant sound, quite delightful to hear. While classical wouldn't normally be to Sumiko's taste, she found herself smiling and enjoying the music emitting from the harp.

Suddenly, without warning, a voice joined the melody. At first, Sumiko thought Tenri was singing, but then she realized the sound was coming from her immediate left. It was Israfel. The angel must have recognized the tune because he was harmonizing in a way that perfectly complemented and possibly strengthened the melody that Tenri was playing. It was as if the two forms of music were intertwining perfectly into what could've been the most audibly pleasing thing she'd heard in forever. Glancing back, she found that while he wasn't expressing outright enjoyment, Kazuma at least seemed to like what he was hearing.

The melody continued for another two minutes before it ended. Tenri then moved on to play another two pieces, which managed to sound even better than the first song, despite everyone thinking that it couldn't be topped. After that, he gave a nervous bow to everyone and rushed off the stage to join everyone in the seats. Everyone took a moment to chat amongst themselves idly now, Midoriko was even writing in her notebook. Standing up, Sumiko made her way over to the lighting system. She dimmed it down and headed over to the projector.

“Everyone ready to watch a few flicks?” She asked, receiving a few cheers.

That was all the encouragement she needed to look over the five and decide on which one to play first. She started with something simple. A comedy movie. While it certainly wasn't the best movie, she decided by the time she had reached the end, it was still good by her standards. It did make everyone laugh, so that earned it some points in her book. Although, if she was being honest, it was kind of a forgettable movie.

The next one was a lot better than the first. It was a drama film that was said to have some of the most heart-wrenching moments in movie history. It certainly did live up to the expectations that the DVD case had given her. Probably surpassed them even. The sad moments were probably a lot sadder than it had led her to believe, getting the reaction it had desired from the audience of students watching it. It was certainly a lot more memorable than the first.

After that one was two other average and forgettable films. They weren't very noteworthy in her opinion. They finally had reached the movie she had been looking for. The one made from a novel written by Kazuma. Perhaps this one would do something for him, since it didn't really seem like the others had worked all that well. Popping open the case, she slid the DVD in and hit play. She turned to gauge the reaction from him as the opening began. It seemed like it was working. A spark of life flashed in his dull eyes as recognition flared up. She grinned even wider when his name was listed in the credits and the students who hadn't helped pick out movies turned to him in surprise. It seemed like things were finally going as planned.

She quickly found out that he had his talent for a reason, too. The movie didn't make use of jump scares or other cheap horror tactics. It was subtle, suspenseful and downright terrifying to sit through. Sumiko was left speechless by the time the end credits were rolling. This would be the only time in which sleeping seemed so horrifying to her. She always heard that movie adaptations were never as good, so she found herself both wanting to read the book and wanting to keep as far from it as she could.

Sneaking a glance over, she found Kazuma smiling. It wasn't one that said he was back to his normal self, but at least it wasn't that creepy vacant look he had been wearing all day. She sighed a sigh of relief, some of her worries about the guy being lifted. They still weren't out of the water yet, but at least things were looking up.

“Wow.” Rikiya said. “Just...wow.”

“That was really scary,” was all Ami managed to get out.

Several of the others jumped in to give their own comments on the movie, while Kazuma just grinned the wider. Meanwhile, a tired Kimiko excused herself to go to bed. It wasn't long before Midoriko and then everyone else was leaving to go to bed as well. It seemed like everyone had a fun time and Sumiko was just happy that their idea had an effect. She would be able to rest easy, or maybe not considering the movie they had just watched, ready for a pleasant tomorrow.

* * *

_Ding-dong, ding-dong!_

“Gooood morning! It's a beautiful day out today, make sure you enjoy it to it's full potential!”

Sumiko sat up with a yawn. Morning already? It sure didn't feel like it to her. It still felt like it was the middle of the night. She turned, ready to go right back to sleep until her stomach growled. Grumbling quietly, she got out of bed and got dressed, ready to head to the diner. She passed by Rikiya and Ami in the hallway, both looking like they were still tired. She could sympathize because she looked the same. She jogged the rest of the way over, passing Tenri and Rei.

Entering the diner, Israfel was where he always was, behind the counter preparing breakfast. It looked like today's breakfast was simply okayu. Shrugging, Sumiko grabbed herself a bowl and took a seat, giving Kaede and Misaki a friendly wave as she did so. Just like the other two sitting at booths, she dug in. It didn't take her too long to finish off the food before she was thanking Israfel and heading out the door. As she opened it up, she ran into Emiko.

“Ah! Sumiko! Just the person I was looking for.” The medium said with a pleased smile on her face. “I was thinking that we should go clean up the Playwright's Paradise a bit. We just left all the equipment there last night.

“Yeah, sure, we can do that.” Sumiko said. “Ain't like I had anythin' better to do right now.”

The two began making their way over, calmly walking through the second ward before they came across Kazuma exiting the Literary Supernova. Sumiko waved him over and invited him along with them to help out some. She wasn't expecting a full on speech, but she was hoping for more than what she got, a simple nod from the novelist.

Shrugging it off, they continued on their way to the third ward, Kazuma pulling ahead of the girls. Sumiko watched as he made it to the theater first, pulling open the doors. What she wasn't expecting was for him to freeze in place out of shock. That normally raised some concern, especially when Kazuma finally registered what he saw and ran into the theater. The two girls hurriedly made their way to the entrance of the theater.

Sumiko wasn't prepared for what she saw upon entering the theater. It seemed like everything was just fine at first before she realized that what was so glaringly wrong wasn't on the floor, but up above. Training her eyes upwards, she saw Kimiko suspended from the catwalk. Letting out a gasp of alarm, she noticed Kazuma scrambling up the steps. At that moment, the girl on the catwalk began writhing and flailing in mid-air.

“Shit!” Sumiko yelled, running towards the steps up to the catwalk.

Kazuma was already there, frantically tugging at what was tied around Kimiko to keep her suspended from the railing. He was muttering frantically under his breath, things like “It's okay, we'll get you down.” She quickly joined him by his side, helping to tug at the cords tied around the girl. The novelist let out a grunt of frustration, Sumiko just barely managing to hear him ask Kimiko to calm down so they could help her back up. A few moments passed before she stopped flailing about madly.

“Thanks.” He said. “Now then, just a few more knots and we'll have you down!”

_Ding-dong, ding-dong!_

“A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, a Class Trial will be held!”

Both Kazuma and Sumiko froze in place, only barely registering Emiko's gasp of shock from below. Surely the announcement was referring to somebody else? The person they were trying to help was moving and perfectly fine mere seconds ago, there wasn't any way she had just died directly in front of them. And yet, as they looked at how still she was, the undeniable truth began to sink in. Kimiko Harumashi, the Super High School Level Maid, had been killed. As if things couldn't get any worse, the boy who had probably been the maid's closest friend here began to scream out in despair.

 


	24. Chapter Three -- Deadly Life

"No fuckin' way." Sumiko exhaled, standing up and backing away a bit.

What the hell had just happened? They had just seen Kimiko perfectly fine, moving about in a vain attempt to get free. Now she was still and a body discovery announcement had gone off. She didn't know how this could have possibly happened. How did someone manage to kill her if only three people were present at the theater? Suddenly, she heard footsteps and the surprised gasps of more people. Looking down, she saw that Israfel, Rikiya and Midoriko had arrived. There was no sign of the medium, she'd probably left to get the others.

As more students started to stream into the building, everyone became aware of who the victim was. She cast a glance over to her side, where Kazuma was on his knees, staring with a look of pure hate down at the crowd of their classmates. Sumiko could only assume that it was because he knew one of them killed Kimiko. Unless, of course, he was faking for the sake of innocence. She wanted to smack herself for thinking like that, but she knew that everyone was a suspect. The previous two times were a testament to that. Interrupting her thoughts, Monokuma also arrived on the scene.

"Wow! Another corpse!" Monokuma exclaimed with unsettling glee. "I bet you guys all know what this means!"

"Oh, just shut up and give us the Monokuma File." Kazuma grumbled. "I don't have the patience to listen to your shit right now."

"Eh?! What's with this sudden burst of anger, Kazuma?" Monokuma asked. "Despair hittin' ya hard?"

"Give us the fucking file!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh, I get no respect around here." Monokuma grumbled.

Sumiko's eHandbook chimed and she pulled it out to examine the file. It said: 'The victim is Kimiko Harumashi. Time of death is 7:43 A.M. There are no exterior wounds on the body, but there are traces of a foreign substance.' Sumiko sighed. The file didn't even include what killed her. Some help it was. Shoving her eHandbook back into her pocket, she saw no reason to waste any more time. She needed to investigate.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Monokuma File #3**

Deciding to start with the body itself, she got up close. The first thing she did was examine what was suspending her from the catwalk. Tied tight around her body and the railing were several cords. They looked very familiar to her, before it suddenly clicked. They were the A/V and power cords for the projector and DVD player. Maybe the culprit was just lazy and decided to use that instead of rope.

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Cords**

As she looked over the body, she noticed something. She could just barely detect a sweet smell coming from the body, which struck her as odd. Shaking her head, she continued to investigate. Sumiko found that Kimiko had something clenched tight in her hand. Carefully opening the dead maid's fingers, she pulled out what she'd been holding. It was a torn piece of paper, looking like a note. Only the first sentence could still be read, the rest could probably be found on the missing part of the paper.

_'Kimiko, I need your help cleaning up the theater.'_

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Sweet Smell**

**Truth Bullet Obtained!: Note to Kimiko**

“ Huh,” was all that she said in response to finding the note.

“What is it?” Misaki asked, having gone up to the catwalk herself.

“ Found a note in Kimiko’s hand.” Sumiko responded, passing Misaki the slip of paper.

“That's interesting.” Misaki said, glancing over the ripped paper. “I guess that would mean the culprit called her here.”

“I s'pose so.” Sumiko responded.

Misaki went on her way to continue her own investigation, which left Sumiko to continue her work. Taking a look around the immediate area, she didn't see anything else worth noting until she looked at the back wall of the building. There was a window, and Sumiko noticed that it was open. Curious, she walked over to look out the window, looking down at the ground to see quite the odd sight. There was a mattress on the ground outside.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Open Window **

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Mattress **

That made her wonder. Why the hell was there a mattress behind the theater? Deciding that she wouldn't find an answer if she stayed in the building, she jogged down the stairs leading off the catwalk. Upon reaching the ground level, Sumiko bumped into an investigating Emiko. The medium was visibly startled by the sudden appearance of the thief, but regain her composure quickly.

“Oh, sorry.” Sumiko apologized.

“That's quite alright,” was what the medium said in return.

“Hey,” she started, having a sudden thought. “Where did you go after the body discovery announcement went off?”

“I simply went to fetch the others.” Emiko replied. “I found Kaede, Rei, Tenri, Misaki and Ami.”

“Oh, alright. That's what I thought you were doin'.” Sumiko said, having affirmed what she thought happened.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Emiko's Account **

Moving on, Sumiko continued walking, deciding that she'd investigate a little down here as well before heading out to check the mattress. Walking over to the stand where they had set up the DVD player and projector, she examined it just to make sure she was correct in her thinking. Sure enough, the cords were missing from both electronics, not even the extension cord they had used to plug it into the wall was still there.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: DVD Player & Projector **

After checking those two devices out, she turned to leave when she suddenly smelled that weird scent again. This time it was a lot more powerful and was making her dizzy. Examining the area around her to discern where exactly it was coming from. She found it in between two rows of seats, the smell was wafting off of a rag on the floor. Sumiko would have picked it up to further examine it, but the scent was so strong that she couldn't stand being near it.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Rag **

With a quick survey of the area, she discerned that there wasn't anything else worth noting. Heading outside, she jogged to the side of the building and went around back. Making her way through the narrow alley to the back, she reached the other side of the theater. There she found the mattress. Sumiko still didn't really get why it was there, now able to note that there were also pillows atop the mattress. She found the entire setup to be quite odd.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Pillows **

She didn't really see anything else at first. When she turned to leave, that's when she spotted it. Lying up against the wall of the theater was a syringe. Crouching down to look at it, she picked it up to pull back the plunger. Droplets of a liquid were inside the tube, telling her that it had been used recently. Sumiko could only wonder what had been in the syringe, she needed no prompting to figure out where it came from.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Used Syringe **

Heading back around to the front of the building, Sumiko began thinking about the mattress. Certainly it wasn't there beforehand, so why was it there now? If it had been placed there, who did so and who did it belong to? While she was lost in thought, she just barely noticed Rei walking in time to stop herself from running into the YouTuber. She mentally kicked herself, that would've been the second time she ran into someone in the past hour alone.

“Hey, Rei.” Sumiko said. She suddenly got a thought. Perhaps she knew something useful? “Would you happen to know anythin' that we could use for the trial? Maybe ya saw somethin'?”

“Ah, actually, I did!” Rei responded. “Not that long after the morning announcement, maybe 7:10, I saw Kimiko heading into Ward II. She was probably on her way here to the theater.”

“That early, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Now that was some food for thought. The maid didn't die until 7:43. So what exactly happened during that 33 minute long gap? She sighed, knowing that she should wait to find answers until the trial. Right now, all she needed to do was figure out the evidence they could use to reach the answer behind this mystery. Who could've done killed Kimiko in such a short window of time? She supposed it'd make more sense during the trial. Thanking Rei, she headed off towards the MonoMeds Pharmacy.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Rei's Account **

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Window of Time **

Entering into the building, she had no idea where to start looking. All she had to go on was one used syringe, how was she supposed to know where it had come from? Sighing, she realized that she probably should've thought this out more. There would be no way she could find the right bottle of liquid in the many rows and shelves. Defeated, she set the syringe down on the counter and noticed something. She remembered her first visit to the place and seeing the books labeling lethal dosages. All of the books were stacked neatly and closed. But now, one of them was off the stack and opened. She took a look at the page it was open to, a drug called epinephrine.

** Truth Bullet Obtained!: Opened Pharmacy Book **

“Alright, I'm running out of patience, head back to the elevator so we can get this trial rolling!” Monokuma's voice rang out.

Sumiko cursed under her breath. It was now time for the trial. Did she have enough to convict the correct person, or would this be the trial where they screwed up? She could only hope what she had found would be sufficient as she made her way back to the apartment complex. Everyone seemed hesitant when they arrived. The loss of Kimiko was quite the blow to everyone and Sumiko noticed that as they all slowly filed into the elevator. She took one glance at Kazuma, who had secluded himself in a back corner of the elevator, his fists clenched tightly until his knuckles had turned white. It didn't take a genius to realize he was still seething. She could only hope that his anger wouldn't hurt their chances at solving the mystery.

With a groan, the elevator began its descent to the third class trial of life and death.

 


	25. Chapter Three -- Class Trial

With a screech, the elevator ground to a halt and the door opened. The remaining eleven students exited the elevator and entered the trial grounds. They knew the drill by now, automatically heading to their respective stands. Sumiko sighed, waiting on the bear they all hated to show up in his throne so they could get started. Before long, the bear popped out from behind his throne and scrambled up into the seat.

“Alright, now that we're all here!” Monokuma announced. “Welcome back to the class trial! You guys will debate over the evidence you collected to see if you can snag the bastard who killed Kimiko!”

“Where should we even start?” Midoriko asked.

“Perhaps we should start with why Kimiko went to the theater.” Israfel started.

“That's an easy question to answer!” Misaki responded.

“It is?” Rikiya asked.

“Yeah, it is.” Sumiko said. “The culprit wrote her a note to lure her there. It's as simple as that.”

“Really? Where's the note?” The SHSL Mimic continued.

**PRESENT: Note to Kimiko**

“It's right here. The culprit wrote her somethin' about cleanin' up the theater after last night and lured her there with that. We don't have all of the note though, it was torn when I found it.” She responded. “Now, let's move on to another topic.”

“Maybe we should continue with how Kimiko got strung up from the balcony.” Kaede offered.

“Sure, let's go with that.” Rei responded. “How did she get up there?”

“Only thing I can think of would be rope.” Rikiya said.

“Yeah, that's probably what the culprit used.” Israfel agreed. “ _They got some rope_ and used that to tie her to the catwalk's railing.”

**BREAK!**

**Incorrect Statement: They got some rope**

**Bullet Used: Cords**

“How about you answer me this,” Kazuma started with pure annoyance in his voice, “did you even think to check the body?”

“Well, no, I didn't want to touch it.” Rikiya's response was.

“If you had, you would've realized what they used to tie her up,” Sumiko stated. “They used the cords from the projector and DVD player.”

“Oh, I see.” Israfel spoke.

Sumiko thought for a second about what topic they should cover next. While all of the evidence she had discovered would be good to go over, she tried to focus on one in particular that she wanted to figure out. She remembered how the Monokuma File left out the cause of death. Figuring that was as good as anything, she decided to push for that to be what they figured out next.

“Did you guys notice that the Monokuma File left out what killed her?” Sumiko asked them. “I saw we try to figure that out.”

“Alright, well, there weren't any wounds on the body.” Emiko said. “The culprit had to use some other way to kill her.”

“The file did say something about a f-foreign substance, right?” Tenri asked. “Maybe t-that has something to do with it.”

“Now there's a sensible answer,” Kazuma praised. “However, did you guys uncover anything that could've caused her death?”

“There was that rag on the floor,” said Misaki. “It smelled really sweet for some reason.”

“While I was examining the body, I noticed the same smell.” Kazuma responded.

“It sounds like you guys are suggesting that she was knocked out with chloroform.” Ami said. “I mean, a rag with a sweet smell? That was probably chloroform.”

“It musta been, it was makin' me dizzy!” Sumiko exclaimed.

“But why was she knocked out?” Rikiya questioned. “Why did the culprit need to do that?”

“P-probably so they could string her up from the c-catwalk.” Tenri said.

“No way that happened, they definitely killed her first.” Ami responded. “Then they dragged her up there and tied her up.”

“That ain't what happened!” Sumiko refuted. “They couldn't've done that! Kimiko died right in front of me, Kazuma and Emiko.”

“S-she did?” Ami stuttered.

“I can verify this.” Emiko responded. “When we found her, she was still alive.”

“Then let's continue under the assumption that Tenri is right.” Rei said. “The culprit used chloroform to knock Kimiko out so they could string her up from the catwalk and kill her. Now then, I think we can finally move on to a new topic. What killed her?”

“Did anyone even find something that could have killed her? All we know is that she was knocked out with chloroform.” Rikiya implored. “I don't remember seeing anything that could have done it.”

“Did they use too much chloroform on her?” Misaki wondered. “That's always a possibility.”

“Don't be ridiculous, Misaki.” Kazuma retorted flatly. “The File said there was a foreign substance in her body, implying that that caused her death.”

“Is it a stretch to assume that the substance is chlo-”

“Yes.”

Misaki frowned, but Sumiko realized what Kazuma was getting at. He must have found it as well during his own investigation. Sure, the Daredevil had a plausible theory going, but it was obvious that she hadn't seen what Sumiko had. There was no doubt in her mind just what had killed Kimiko anymore.

**PRESENT: Opened Pharmacy Book**

“I think I know what killed her,” Sumiko started. “While I was investigatin', I went to the pharmacy. If you guys remember the books, they tell ya the fatal doses of the medicines in there.”

“What of them?” Israfel asked.

“I found one of 'em opened up on the counter to the drug epinephrine.” Sumiko responded. “I think that's prob'ly what the culprit used to kill her.”

“Isn't that just the medical term for adrenaline?” Emiko asked. “They gave her a fatal dose of adrenaline? That would certainly explain her erratic movements when we found her.”

“I think that's what happened, yeah.” Sumiko responded.

“Well, surely you have something to back up this argument.” Ami stated. “It's not like we can believe this unless there's proof she was injected.”

_If they need proof, then I'll have to show them this!_

**PRESENT: Used Syringe**

“I found a used syringe too.” Sumiko said. “I know it was used 'cause I pulled back the plunger to check for moisture.”

“Well that's another piece of this mystery solved then!” Midoriko said. “She was knocked out with chloroform, hung up from the catwalk and given a fatal dose of adrenaline which did her in around the time that Sumiko, Emiko and Kazuma got to the theater.”

“Hold on, there's something that's bugging me.” Kaede spoke up. “If she was given a fatal dose of adrenaline and died just after she was found, then that means the culprit had either just been there or was still there around the time they arrived.”

“Y-you're right..” Tenri said softly.

“How the hell did they get out then?” Rikiya asked. “If they were still in the theater when those three arrived, they would've noticed!”

“Perhaps this is a locked room setup.” Emiko offered. “The culprit might have hidden somewhere and waited for others to arrive so they could blend in with their arrival to make it look like they'd shown up with them.”

“Hmm, it does make you wonder.” Kazuma stated, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Sumiko couldn't help but feel that the novelist was acting rather unsettling. She knew he was angry about the murder, but she didn't think that it'd make him act like this. Had he already discovered the culprit and was just gloating as everyone else struggled to figure out the mystery? Or was it the other option, the one she'd rather not think about? It would probably be the worst trial they'd have to go through if Kazuma ended up being the culprit.

“So then, they were right there with us and we just didn't see 'em?” Sumiko thought aloud, before frowning. “No, that doesn't sound like what happened.”

“Hmm? Why not?” Emiko asked. “Was there a way for them to escape?”

Thinking back over the investigation, Sumiko suddenly realized it. How had she been so stupid to not realize something so simple? Of course the culprit had a way to escape, it was right behind the body the entire time. She even had the evidence to prove it!

**PRESENT: Open Window**

“They did!” Sumiko exclaimed. “I only just now realized it, but I found the escape route durin' my investigation! There was an open window up on the catwalk behind her!”

“Eh? But th-that's pretty high up..” Tenri stated. “I-It'd probably hurt to jump out of that.”

_ Really? I have evidence to suggest otherwise! _

**PRESENT: Mattress, Pillows**

“Not when there was a mattress and pillows below.” Sumiko responded. “That was why I even went out back in the first place. If I hadn't noticed that, I wouldn't've found the syringe.”

“That would certainly make escape a lot more manageable.” Israfel said. “Not to mention less painful for the culprit.”

“If those are out there though, that could only mean one thing. They came from the culprit's apartment.” Kazuma stated, a smug smile on his face. “Oi, Monokuma. Perhaps you could let us take a little recess to see who's missing a mattress?”

“Huh, wha?” The bear gasped, jerking upright as if he'd just awoken. “As much as I'd like this to be over, figure it out yourselves! You've got the evidence so continue your debate!”

“Hmph, of course not, why would I expect any different of you?” Kazuma grunted contemptuously.

“You're mean, Kazuma-san..” Monokuma hung his head sadly.

“Well, if he said we can figure it out, we've got no choice but to keep going.” Rikiya said. “What shall we cover next?”

“I think I wanna cover the window of time this was done in.” Kaede said. “If they lugged their mattress over their after the morning announcement, I'm sure someone would have noticed. Especially Kimiko, since no one saw her all morning. She probably left before everyone else!”

“That is a valid point.” Rei responded. “If their mattress is part of the crime, then they'd have to have taken it there sometime during the night. It also wouldn't be surprising if they readied the chloroform and adrenaline during the night as well.”

Sumiko got to thinking. She knew during the investigation that she should keep the window of time for this murder in mind. It was becoming clear that this didn't take place over half an hour, it had in fact spanned over at least one or two hours. They still had missing factors though. The most they knew right know was how Kimiko was drugged and killed, as well as how the culprit managed to escape. Upon thinking further about things, it clicked. Things were narrowed down to two suspects.

“Okay, I'm startin' to get an idea of who it is.” Sumiko said. “Who here has an alibi for the mornin'? If you do, raise your hand. It doesn't matter if you disappeared for a bit, if you were with someone else for at least ten minutes after the mornin' announcement and before the body discovery, you're clear.”

She noted that everyone began to raise their hands aside from the two suspects she had narrowed it down to. The thief herself, Rei and Tenri were among the first to raise their hands. Following them were Emiko, Israfel, Kaede and Rikiya. The last person to raise their hand was Misaki. That left the suspects. The two people who had not raised their hands and therefore had no alibi were Kazuma and Midoriko, the former rolling his eyes while the latter seemed indifferent.

“While this is wonderful and all, what purpose does this serve?” Kazuma asked.

“The majority of this case took place after the mornin' announcement, so those without alibis for the mornin' are suspects.” Sumiko responded.

“Well, good job, because you've just uncovered the culprit!” Kazuma announced with a wide grin.

“H-huh? Was that a confession..?” Sumiko asked.

“Goodness, no!” He laughed. “I mean, you just put two and two together for me!”

_ Of course he's not the culprit. The culprit is actually... _

**Make An Accusation: Midoriko Haseyama**

“It has to be Midoriko, then.”

“Wh-what?” The girl in question gaped. “You're going to take his word for it? He's just as much a suspect as I am!”

“Except for one small detail.” Sumiko responded. “I was just playin' dumb. The only reason I was doin' that was so everyone else can realize it too. While Kazuma doesn't have an alibi, he discovered the body with us. You, on the other hand, have been missin' all mornin'.”

“Gah!” Midoriko gaped, taken aback.

“I bet you even half the other part of the note you wrote to her on you. You probably signed it so you didn't want us findin' it on her and that's why it was ripped.” Sumiko continued, making Midoriko grip her stand as she was continuously figured out. “You gonna deny it? We could always ask Monokuma again, he'd probably let us check your apartment this time.”

“No. Denying would be redundant.” Midoriko responded, looking up to meet Sumiko's eyes. “You figured me out, so I won't argue.”

“A culprit finally showing some class.” Kazuma said quietly. “May I see the note, Sumiko?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Sumiko complied, handing the note over. Kazuma looked the torn slip over, then smirked. “What is it?”

“You should've let me see this right from the start!” He said. “We wouldn't have needed to do this whole trial, because I know Midoriko's handwriting. I've watched her write before.”

“I suppose I'll let you know something else.” Midoriko said. “I wasn't taking notes about what we were doing during Movie Night. You can probably figure out what I was doing.”

“Yeah, I have an idea. Lemme review the case so we can end this.” Sumiko cleared her throat. “This all started yesterday when we began movie night. While we were all watchin' and enjoyin' the movie, our culprit was writin' down the note they would leave for our victim, and probably gettin' down the details of their murder too. When the movies were over, Kimiko was the first to leave. The culprit wasn't that far behind, leavin' movie night second. They returned to their room and waited for the rest of us to get back. After a few hours of waitin' to ensure everyone was asleep, the culprit started the next part of the plan. They slipped the note to Kimiko under her door before grabbin' their mattress, pillows and probably a rag too, draggin' them all to the theater, settin' all of it up under the catwalk's window so they would have an escape route just on the off chance someone else came to clean up. After they had that done, they went to the MonoMeds so they could get the stuff needed. They poured some chloroform onto the rag, then filled a syringe with a lethal dose of adrenaline which they had figured out by usin' one of the dosage books from the counter. All they had to do now was wait until mornin' for Kimiko's arrival. When mornin' rolled around, Kimiko was the first to wake up. She found the note and immediately went to help out clean up, bein' a maid and all. When she walked into the theater, the culprit ambushed her and knocked her out with the chloroform rag. After that, they tossed the rag aside and then dragged her up onto the catwalk. Using some cords from the DVD player and projector, they suspended her from the catwalk's railin' and then got out the syringe. They injected her with the adrenaline and then tried to get their note back, which Kimiko had been holding on to. They only managed to get some of it though, the rest of it trapped in Kimiko's iron grip. Around this time, myself, Kazuma and Emiko had arrived on the scene to clean up after the movie night. Havin' heard our arrival, the culprit rushed off, leaving out of the exit they had prepared beforehand. They then waited for the body discovery announcement to go off in order to join everyone as they arrived on scene. I get anythin' wrong, Midoriko?”

“No, no, you were completely correct.” The Gossiper responded.

“Oooh, so we can begin the voting time?” Monokuma implored.

“Yes,” sighed Midoriko, “you can start the voting.”

“Hooray!” Monokuma cheered. “If you would all please vote on who you think the culprit is, we can finish up this trial! Will your answer be hopefully correct? Or will it be despairingly wrong? Upupu...”

Sumiko didn't hesitate, automatically selecting and submitting her vote for Midoriko. Everyone else did the same. Just as usual, the slot machine rose up and the icons began to spin. They spun and spun, making that annoying clacking sound. They then began to slow to a stop, one by one. Slowly, all three stopped on the portrait of Midoriko. The fanfare began to play as another person was found guilty, coins once again flooding from the machine.

“Coooooorrect!” Monokuma exclaimed. “The culprit of Kimiko's murder was Midoriko Haseyama!”

** TRIAL THREE END. **

 


	26. Chapter Three -- Entertain My Despair III

With the voting having concluded, everyone stood in front of the latest murderer. All eyes were on Midoriko, some unable to believe that she had committed murder, others plenty willing to believe it was her. Sumiko herself wasn't entirely sure of what she had thought of the Gossiper. They hadn't exactly talked all that much during the time they've been in the city. Perhaps had they met in another situation, they would have even been friends. But as it stood right now, she wasn't among the people who had made themselves familiar with her.

“Why'd you do it?” Kazuma's question interrupted her thoughts.

“I'm sure you already know this yourself, considering we talked about it earlier.” Midoriko said, looking down at the ground. “I'm bored in here, I've barely got anything to work with. No offense, but the dirt I've got on you guys can't really be considered dirt since you all talk about it to each other. When Monokuma showed us that motive, I was confronted with the reality of the world we left behind. I wanted to know more.. I let my desire for knowledge get the best of me...”

It seemed the reality of what she had done had come crashing down upon her. For the briefest of moments, she seemed overwhelmed with grief, but then she bottled up her emotions in order to at least go to her death with grace. Sumiko felt sorry for the girl. As terrible as the atrocity she'd committed was, she had only done it because she let Monokuma influence and was now realizing just how bad of a decision that was. The Gossiper sighed in defeat.

The girl awaiting execution decided to do one last thing before Monokuma got impatient. She walked over to Sumiko and reached out to shake her hand. Sumiko took her hand and almost made a visible reaction as she felt Midoriko slide something into her palm. Midoriko, her back to the ursine, gave her a wink as a sign to keep quiet and take what she was giving to her.

“It was nice to meet you, Sumiko.” The Gossiper said genuinely, but Sumiko knew it was also a front to hide what she was doing from Monokuma. “I would have liked to be your friend had I not done what I did.”

“Well, you can call yourself my friend now.” Sumiko said, going along with it as she took what had been given to her and then lowered her hand back to her side. “I don't know if it'll mean much though, considerin' what'll happen next.”

“I think I'd like that,” responded Midoriko with a genuine smile.

“Alright, enough of this mushy friendship crap.” Monokuma grumbled. “No need to delay the inevitable, because it's execution time, baby!”

That familiar button rose up in front of Monokuma's button. He pulled out his gavel and slammed it down onto the button. Just as it had done the previous two times, the screen below it lit up as the animation began. A pixelated Midoriko was standing in the center as the pixelated Monokuma entered from the left, then dragged the pixel Midoriko off to the right. As text scrolled with the animation, the third execution began as the classmates were forced to watch.

**MIDORIKO HASEYAMA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**COMMENCING EXECUTION.**

**\--**

_Hot Gossip_

That familiar metal cuff snaps shut around Midoriko's neck, dragging her off kicking and screaming. The chain continues to retract until it has her dangling over a glass box. With a loud _chink!_ , it drops her into it. She lands not-so-gracefully in the box, right on her face. With a grunt, she began pulling herself to her feet. She rubbed lightly at the side of her head, wincing from the bruising she'd no doubt received. She staggers forward a bit, bracing herself against the wall of the box.

She looks through the glass box to see that the box is suspended in what appears to be a cafeteria. It is filled with Monokumas, one taking up each seat in the large room. Everything is silent for a moment, but once they've all noticed the Gossiper was present, they begin to chatter amongst themselves. Turning to her left, she notices there is a desk next to her. Upon the desk was a brand new notebook with a pencil sitting next to it.

The Monokumas are talking rather loudly, getting engrossed in their conversations. Midoriko doesn't seem to like it, but she can noticeably hear every last detail of the stories they were going on about. Having remembered that previous executions were tied to the talents of individual culprits, she realized what they wanted her to do. They wanted her to utilize her talent to get down all of the horrible details she was hearing.

Seeing no choice but to comply, she took a few steps over to stand at the desk. Inhaling a bit to calm herself, she picked up the pencil and opened the notebook. Letting her eyes flutter closed, she began to listen intently to what she was hearing. Now that she was focused, her hand gracefully moved across the paper of the notebook. It was really something to watch, Midoriko at her finest. Not even needing to reopen her eyes, she jotted down the notes on the paper, not even seeming to recognize that she was even writing something. All of her attention was on what she could hear.

The pencil was moving at an incredibly fast paced, no doubt having developed over time from when she first noticed and began utilizing her talent. As she continued to write, a bead of sweat rolled down her face. Huh, now that's curious. At first it appeared to be because of her intense focus, but it became apparent soon enough to her that the temperature in the room had changed. She hadn't really noticed, but apparently as the conversations below her got more intense, the heat in the room increased with it. She occasionally had to use her free arm to wipe the sweat from her brow.

The Monokumas began talking faster and faster. As they did so, it became increasingly difficult for her to get all of the details that she had been able to mere seconds prior. The Gossiper could only catch a few of the details now, and she scribbled them down with less and less precision. Her writing became less graceful as time began to pass. The temperature had continued rising, and the heat was starting to have quite the effect on her. She was sweating profusely now, and that much was inherently visible to everyone being forced to watch. Her clothes were becoming damp and she was panting. She was starting to look dizzy.

She reached out to steady herself, so as to not collapse. The audience of her classmates were finally shown just how intense the heat was with what happened next. The moment Midoriko's hand hit the wall of the glass box, she cried out in pain and pulled back her burnt hand. Bits of seared flesh remained on the glass. Whimpering out, she cradled her hand to her chest. Suddenly, the heat from the glass had an effect on her shoes, making her yelp as the heat reached her feet. The only thing she could do now was perch on the desk to avoid being seared by the glass.

The conversations below her turning to fast-paced screaming, the temperature further rising. Midoriko was starting to go from panting to hyperventilation. It was getting harder and harder to keep upright. Everything was fiery-hot by this point. She was starting to feel faint, weakening as it got even hotter in the box. Despite having sat herself in a position where she wouldn't normally fall, her balance was beginning to betray her as she started to fall over. Down she went, collapsing to the floor of the glass box. She was too weak to even cry out as the heated glass seared her. Black spots danced in her vision and her eyes slowly closed. The heat had caused her to pass out, but it wasn't over yet. Retreating into the recesses of her mind couldn't save her from being roasted alive by the hottest gossip she had ever bore witness to.

Sumiko grimaced at the prospect of experiencing the terrible fate of Midoriko. She shook her head, glaring at Monokuma. The bear himself was just cackling madly. The tension in the room was thick, very thick. This was an execution that just left a feeling of emptiness in the pit of their stomachs. While the last one made it hard for them because the girl only reacted in her own defense, this time it was hard to feel incredibly sad because it was planned down to a T. Midoriko had even made a precaution for the off chance that someone walked in. She shook her head as a way to rid herself of those thoughts.

“Why the hell are you guys still hanging around? Get out of here! Go do something, it's not even noon yet!”

At Monokuma's order, they all began to retreat to the elevator. This time there was no rush to forget what happened. They were all going to move on while remembering. They would remember Mamoru and Katashi, Vechs and Avanna, Kimiko and Midoriko. They wouldn't be forgotten to avoid despair. They would remember to keep their hope alive. Sumiko was once again pulled from her thoughts as Kazuma approached her.

“Hey, I'm sorry about how I've been acting.” He said, rubbing the back of his head. “Seeing my brother like that just kind of messed me up. It was nice of you to put the film adaptation of my favorite book I wrote in with the others for movie night.”

“It's alright, Kazuma. I can't exactly say I was a fan of how you were actin', but I get it.” She responded, before pausing a moment. “That was a movie of your favorite one? Huh, didn't know that. Guess I got lucky.”

“Heh, guess you did.” He grinned, then turned to head into the elevator.

Sumiko followed suit. As much as she hated that it took a trial to snap him out of it, she was happy that he was back to normal. Upon entering the elevator though, she had one thing on her mind, and that was what Midoriko had given her before going to her death. Sumiko made her way to a back corner of the elevator and finally examined what she'd been given. In her hand was a note and a key. Unfolding the paper, she read what had been written.

“ _If you're reading this, it means you caught me and I've been executed. Before movie night, I did some snooping around. By that, I mean I managed to locate and break into Monokuma's apartment. I had a limited amount of time to dig around though but I did find something interesting while searching. This is the key to my room. In the top drawer of my dresser, I hid what I found. Share it with the others. It doesn't matter if Monokuma finds out now, I'm already dead._

_\-- Midoriko”_

The note left her even more curious than Sumiko had been before reading it. She'd broken into Monokuma's apartment? What was it that she found? Why did she need to inform the others about it? Those questions nagged at her as the elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open. Upon exiting, she moved towards the other set of elevators leading up to higher floors of the apartment building. She had to know what was in Midoriko's dresser. When she turned to hit the button, Kazuma got on as well.

“Hey.” He said, pressing the button for the second floor. “You wanna grab a coffee? I'm dying for one after that trial.”

“Not right now, I've got something I need to do.” Sumiko stated leaving it at that.

Kazuma nodded, then got off at his stop. She exhaled softly as the elevator began ascending to the third floor where their apartments were located. When the door slid open, she exited and began her walk to Midoriko's apartment. The thoughts began nagging at her again. What would she find when she got there that could've potentially made Monokuma lash out at Midoriko? Sumiko was starting to feel uneasy, the feeling reaching a peak when she found herself in front of the deceased girl's apartment.

Sumiko unlocked the door and stepped inside to find an apartment similar to her own. The only noticeable differences were the several notebooks lying around, as well as a few mugs of sharpened pencils. She noticed that Midoriko's mattress and pillows were there, but it didn't really surprise her. It was a fact by now that Monokuma somehow managed to clean everything up during trials and restore them to their original state. She made her way over to the dresser and slid open the top drawer, prepared for the worst.

Sumiko wasn't too shocked at first, taking out a file. It wasn't until she read the name of the file that she was shocked. It was labeled as _The School Life of Mutual Killing._

**CHAPTER THREE: ENTERTAIN MY DESPAIR END**

**REMAINING STUDENTS: 10**

 


	27. Chapter Four -- These Final Moments I

Everything suddenly screeched to a halt as a feeling of dread overtook Sumiko. What the hell was up with this? As if their own situation weren't bad enough, flipping through the file told her that this had happened before! Another group of SHSL students had been locked away and forced to kill one another for Monokuma's sick amusement. It was making Sumiko's blood boil just thinking about it. What the hell was this bear's unnatural obsession with despair? Why did innocent teenagers have to kill each other? More importantly, why was there ever a single game in the first place, let alone two?

As she flipped through the photos of the deaths this first game had, she couldn't help but feel a little sick to her stomach. These poor students had a rough time throughout the entirety of their game. People who were more easily motivated killed and betrayed each other, while everyone else was left to deal with the mess they left behind. Their situations were barely different at all, much the same was happening in the city. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the one girl in particular. Everyone in the city had heeded the warnings and not broken a rule, but this girl had let her anger get the best of her and ended up dying for it. Despite her connections to the event, Sumiko still felt sorry for her. It was a shit situation for sure. It was then she decided on what to do with the file.

She had to let everyone else know, but first she needed some time to think things over. There were so many questions that this new information was bringing to light in her mind, she wanted to consider just what this could mean. How had this been allowed to happen once, let alone twice? She didn't want to think about it for too long, it made her feel sick. Clutching the file tightly, she went to the first person she could think of: Kazuma.

Finding him where he had said he'd be going, Sumiko entered the cafe. Kazuma was staring down into his coffee. He seemed a lot better than he had been the previous day and this morning, but he wasn't completely back together yet. They all needed some time to heal after that hell of a murder. He glanced up from his coffee as the thief approached.

“Oh, hey Sumiko. Decided to join me after all, eh?”

“Sort of. Look, there's somethin' I gotta show you!”

She threw down the file and watched as Kazuma's intrigued expression darkened after reading the name. He gingerly reached out a hand as if it would hurt to touch it, slowly pulling it open. The first thing he saw was a photo of Sayaka Maizono, the Super High School Level Idol, a knife piercing her middle. Sumiko grimaced a little at the sight. The horror novelist continued flicking through it, seeing the grisly images of the students who fell prey to the game.

Leon Kuwata, Chihiro Fujisaki, Mondo Oowada, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Hifumi Yamada, Celestia Ludenberg, Sakura Oogami, Mukuro Ikusaba. The images of their corpses were burning into his retinas as he read about each particular case and how they unfolded. He read about Junko Enoshima, the mastermind behind it all and saw a photo of her execution. There were parts that were blacked out, such as how the world got to such a state on the outside and why they'd been trapped inside of Hope's Peak. He didn't mind that much.

“This is...really important.”

“Yeah, which is why I showed ya. Now gimme the damn thing back, we gotta tell everyone else right?” Sumiko held out her hand.

Kazuma nodded, handing her the file. He gave his coffee a lingering look before deciding to just leave it. Standing up, he motioned for her to lead the way. Upon exiting the apartment complex, he glanced around, wondering if the new ward had been opened to them yet. Shaking his head, he got his thoughts back on track. Exploration of the new ward could wait until all the others were aware of what Sumiko had shown him. He glanced over at the girl in question, a sudden wave of guilt falling over him.

He'd let that last motive get to him. He usually carried everyone as a sort of de facto leader during cases, using his abilities in story crafting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He kept them going through the first two trials, but he threw everything onto Sumiko and the others for this latest one because he let that damn bear get to him. He wouldn't let that happen again. He couldn't afford to slip up like that. Interrupting his thought process was Rei Kaya, glancing over at them with interest.

“What are you guys up to?” She asked.

“Oh, we've got something to show everyone. Could you help us get everyone together?”

Rei went to answer him, but before she could say anything, a familiar and grating voice sounded from behind him. With a loud sigh filled with annoyance and hatred, Kazuma turned around to face Monokuma who was angrily waving his claws at them. Kazuma absolutely had no time or desire to deal with this situation right now.

“What do you want?”

“Where the hell did you kids get that?!”

“Oh, piss off. You wanna know where we got it? From the girl you just executed. If you're thinkin' you're gonna punish someone for this, you already did.” Sumiko retorted flatly.

“This is why I can't trust any of you bastards! Sneaking into my apartment and stealing my stuff...”

The bear gave them one last angry wave of his sharp claws before disappearing. Kazuma couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. No one was going to get punished and they were free to show the file to everyone else. He turned, seeing Rei's heightened curiosity. Certainly she had questions after Monokuma showed up to yell at them. He couldn't really blame her, if he hadn't been knowledgeable about the situation at hand, he'd be pretty confused too.

“Look, we'll explain after we get everyone together.” He said to her simply, then went on his way while the other two followed.

It wasn't that hard to find everyone. Not only had their numbers dwindled down to ten, but no one had wandered that far after the trial. They were all hanging around the first and second wards, making it plenty easy on the trio to locate them. Afterwards, they all retreated back to the diner, which was starting to become their go-to meeting place. It was convenient and had refreshments, perfect to hold discussion in. At least, in Kazuma's opinion anyway.

“So, what did you have to tell us?” Kaede asked, having seated himself on one of the counter stools.

“Midoriko was able to find a file before she, uh, did what she did.” Kazuma started. “Apparently, this isn't the first time this happened. There's been another mutual killing game.”

“What?!” Rikiya spluttered. “There are more of these games happening?”

“Well, as far as we know, it's just the one we're in and the one described in this file.” He continued. “There could be more, but I hope that's not the case...”

“This is really serious,” Rei began, “but I have a question. Did anyone survive that game?”

“Yeah. There were six survivors. They managed to talk the person behind it all into having a grand trial. Figure out the mysteries behind how they got locked away and stuff like that in exchange for their freedom.”

“Person behind it?” Israfel questioned. “Does it give a name?”

“The girl who did it is Junko Enoshima.”

“You mean the Enoshima who's a really popular model?” Tenri asked. “H-her?”

“Yeah, the very same.” Sumiko stated. “Kinda weird though, it's another mutual killin' game involvin' Super High School Level students, but I didn't know any of 'em had been takin' classes.”

“I can't believe someone like her would do something so horrible!” Misaki exclaimed. “I mean, you wouldn't think a gyaru would be the person who put that together.”

“This is quite concerning, though.” Emiko stated. “The file says...and shows...that she was executed at the end of the last trial, but yet another killing game happened.”

“Perhaps someone took inspiration from her..” Ami offered. “Maybe that's why we're here.”

“A truly horrible possibility.” The medium finished.

“Hmm..” Sumiko seemed like she was thinking about something, it was making Kazuma curious. He could plainly see on her face that she was having a troubling thought process. Maybe this was something that he could get her to talk about once everyone else was out of earshot.

“To be fair, you can never truly be sure what a person is like.” Kaede stated.

That only seemed to fuel the uncertain look on Sumiko's face. She had this intense look on her face as she slowly glanced around and looked at everyone. There was no telling what she was thinking right now, but it surely wasn't anything positive from the look on her face. As if trying to bring about a distraction for everyone, a voice piped up to cut the silence.

“Oh, while we're here, would anyone like lunch?” Israfel asked, standing by the counter door. “I can make something up real quick.”

Everyone seemed to agree and allowed the Angel to head behind the counter and make them something for lunch. As he got to working, Sumiko suddenly felt a little off. She couldn't quite place it but there was a dull throbbing in the back of her head. Just like that, she felt weak, almost slipping out of her seat as the world around her shifted. Suddenly she was walking down a dirty and beaten road.

“Over here! I think this is the way, at least...” The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. There was something a little off about it, or she'd recognize it immediately.

“I just don't get why we had to travel so far.”

She could hear a new voice enter the mix. It was familiar in much the same way but she just couldn't figure out who it was. She heard that person breathe in as if about to say something more, but just like that she found herself back in the counter stool, nothing but a bad headache lingering. When she glanced over, she saw Kazuma's eyes on her. She realized then that she must've looked pretty bad going limp like that.

“Are you alright?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, 'm fine.”

He sure didn't think so. She'd nearly just collapsed, that wasn't anywhere near fine. Kazuma could do nothing but accept her answer though, she didn't look like she wanted to tell him anything right now. Maybe if he gave her some time, she'd be alright discussing what was on her mind. He sighed, telling Israfel to not prepare anything for him before heading out back into the city. As he felt the golden rays hitting his skin, he looked up into the sunny sky.

“If there were survivors in that game, maybe we can make it out too..”

His thoughts were interrupted as Monokuma's voice rang out through the city. He listened in, already having an idea for what the announcement was for. There was only one thing it really could be at the moment, anyway.

“All right, you thieving bastards! Hope you got an eyeful of that information! Now then, just like always, the new area is open for exploration! Go on ahead and check out your new area!”

Just as he thought, the fourth ward was now open to them. _Here's hoping we get something helpful in the new area._ That seemed like a bit of a morbid thought since people had to die for this area to open up, but he really was hoping that they could find anything to help them get a better bearing on the situation. They needed it after reading that file. He supposed he might as well head on over. Maybe, just maybe, they could avoid any more death in favor of getting an ending like the other class did.

Maybe there was a good ending in their future.

 


End file.
